The Fine Line
by monotask007
Summary: Ok, chapter nine is up. And its not for the kiddies. Spike has been Wooing Faye and it pays off. I want reviews please!!!
1. Default Chapter

The Fine Line  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop, or any of the characters, which really is a pity…*sniffle* Maybe someday *goes off into dreamland about owning them….oh look, there's a butterfly….*  
  
Author's Note: I have never written a Cowboy Bebop fic, but I thought I would give it a try. Please don't kill me. Also I don't know if Spike would have survived, or if the show would have ended better with his death…for me…I think not. So for all intents and purposes Spike survived.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Faye had been sitting in the bar of the Aching Heart Grill, for three hours now, and she was getting a little testy. She was still nursing only her second drink, a phenomenon even she found unbelievable. Every once and a while the door would open and she would turn a little desperately hoping it was the bounty she was waiting for. But it never was.  
  
"You need me to get you something else?" the bald bartender asked, as he threw a dirty towel over his shoulder. He flashed her a grin that left something to desire…like teeth.  
  
"Nope." Faye replied. 'Gotta keep my head tonight. No screw ups.' She thought to herself as she stared into the shot glass in front of her. Her head was already swimming from not sleeping, not to mention the fact she was starved. Jet had made his specialty again, Bell Peppers and Beef—Vegetarian Style. She just couldn't handle it again, so all she ate all day were some old crackers she found on the Bebop, and some stale pretzels. "Yummy," she said as she put the hard as a rock pretzel in her mouth. 'I could sure go for some Bell Peppers now' she thought as she tried to chew the pretzel. 'No. I will not go back there, yet.' She said as she put a hand full of the salted rocks in her mouth. Subsequently spitting them at the bartender as he passed. She smiled at the man, and smacked her head against the bar as he walked to the other end.  
  
Jet had really got on her nerves today. He kept yelling at her about screwing up the last bounty. It wasn't even her fault…at least not all of it. No she owed half the honor to the puffy-haired wonder that returned to torture her. She had to give Spike credit though, when he says he's not going somewhere to die, he meant it. But that day is something that they both agreed not to talk about, it was as if nothing happened. Though Faye did mention the fact that the only reason he lived through it was because she 'convinced' Jet to go out after him. This consisted of twenty four minutes of her yelling, screaming, crying and hitting Jet until he went. But she left that part out and just told Spike that she rationalized with the big man. Jet, the sly old dog, put tracking devices in both their ships, just in case. She didn't really know in case of what, and with the way he smirked when he said it, she figured she didn't want to know.  
  
The door again opened and closed, but her bounty didn't come in. She was beginning to doubt he ever would. She absent-mindedly she played with the frayed fabric of her loose fitting jeans. The holes in the knees kept getting larger every day. She had taken to wearing jeans after a guy rid a little too hard to get a date. She ended up with some nasty bruises, but nothing compared to the guy. Every now and then, she wondered if he could walk yet. Five months, you'd think so. Jet's only reaction had been to say "Well if you ass didn't hang out so much, people wouldn't think you were giving it away." He had a point…she always hated that. Of course she didn't admit it to him. She just got some new clothes. Of course she still wore her trademark yellow shirt, but sadly, tonight she didn't have her red sweater. She had planned on wearing it to cover her gun, but Spike practically ruined it when he threw his dirty clothes on it.  
  
The bounty she and Spike had messed up so wonderfully this afternoon, left Spike covered in horse shit, and Faye with some nasty gashes on her left arm. Which, now that she looked at them, were still bleeding quite nicely. She smiled as she thought back to the seen earlier. Spike covered in horse shit and chicken feathers, and her bleeding, desperately trying to keep standing because she was laughing so hard. He had yelled at her at first, and of course she had yelled back. Then he noticed the blood and yelled at her while checking the wounds and making sure she was alright.  
  
They had a great relationship…yell, yell, yell. Nag, nag, nag. It was great. Faye swallowed the shot in front of her, and slammed the empty glass on the bar.  
  
"Great," she said to no one in particular. "BARKEEP!" she yelled as she again put her head on the bar. As he filled the glass the door to the bar opened. She peeked around her arms to see her bounty saunter into the bar. She was determined to bring in a bounty and shove the fact that she did it on her own with out anyone, right into the faces of her two comrades.  
  
She picked her head off of the bar and got a better look at her bounty, Johnny. The guy was a lot bigger than she had been expecting. Then again she had looked at his picture on the tiny view screen in her Red Tail. But of course, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She was just going to have to hit harder…a lot harder.  
  
She checked the gun she had tucked into the back of her jeans. Beautifully hidden by her new black sweat shirt, which was standing in for the red one. 'Good. Here we go.' She thought as she downed the shot in front of her. She walked slowly over to the large brown haired man, with muscles that were as wide around as she was, and no neck. She smiled sweetly at the man, and got a grin back. When she was with in arms reach she smiled again, pulled her gun and placed it directly between his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
1 Ok, so please be kind and review…tell me if I should go on. * slaps self * what am I thinking, I would go on even if you said it sucked….  
  
In the next chapter Faye goes back to the Bebop, and some interesting events take place.  
  
  
  
. 


	2. Chapter 2: Fun With Bounties

The Fine Line  
  
Chapter 2: Fun With Bounties  
  
AN: Just before we get into this I would like to remind you that we cannot get better if we don't know what to fix…so please READ and REVIEW.  
  
Disclaimers: Don't own them…sadly. You know what's even worse, I don't know what I would do with them if I did own them.  
  
  
  
You would expect the 3 a.m. crowd in a bar to be too far gone to notice a woman pull out a large gun and place it in someone's face, but not this crowd. Nope. They were a little slower than they normally would have been, but they still managed to scream and run out the door not five seconds after Faye pulled the gun out. Drunks just aren't what they used to be.  
  
Faye's gaze never left her target, she was determined not to screw this one up. "Alright boys," she said to the two men at the table with Johnny. Their hands were inside their jackets, the only thing keeping them from shooting Faye were she stood was Johnny. He had raised his hands slightly to tell them to keep their guns in the jackets. "Nice and easy, put the weapons on the table."  
  
Neither of them moved. Faye smiled and pushed the gun harder to Johnny's head.  
  
"Do it." Johnny's voice was a harsh whisper but they followed orders.  
  
"Good. Now we are all going to stand up and walk over to the bar." She again pushed the gun harder to its target. Johnny rose slowly out of his chair, he was smirking as he did. The boys followed in suit. "After you boys." The flunkies went first followed by Johnny who now had the gun placed firmly at the back of his head.  
  
"I've never been threatened by a chick before." Johnny said as he walked slowly to the bar.  
  
"First time for everything." Faye put a smile on her face.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Just the five hundred thousand on your head." Faye moved so that she was beside the man, her gun placed at the center of his shoulders.  
  
"A bounty hunter?!" Johnny said stopping in front of the bar. Faye smiled at him as she put herself between Johnny and the counter. She turned her attention to the toothless bartender who was gripping at the surface before him. There was something in his eyes. Fear?  
  
"Do me a favor, cuff those two to the bar here." She handed him a pair of handcuffs. The man hesitated slightly but then did as he was asked. "Thanks." She threw a couple of bills on the bar as she turned to face Johnny.  
  
He was smiling widely, her gun was raised to his chest. "So tell me," he began, "do you always work alone? No back up?"  
  
Faye's smile fell. "Best way."  
  
"I have to disagree. You see me, I always have three."  
  
Faye's eyes widened with the realization. She spun around, her gun level and ready to shoot. However, she was met with the large balled fist of the bartender. She flew back, her gun skidding under the closest table. Her head was spinning, she couldn't get her balance. She got slowly to all fours and balled her hands to fists. 'Damn I hadn't thought about another backup.' Her mind raged as she silently kicked herself.  
  
She watched as a shadow crept closer to her. She lifted her head to meet the wide grin of Johnny.  
  
"Working alone is never the best way, sweetheart." He walked over to her left side. "Never." He brought his foot up and kicked her in the stomach. Faye felt her ribs crack. She couldn't breathe, she just lay there on her side gasping for breath. He kicked her again, her small body slid across the floor, knocking tabels over with it.  
  
By the time she could breathe and opened her eyes, the bartender had released the other guy. Faye looked down at the floor, blood smeared on the wood. Some of it she had coughed up and the rest probably came from the wounds the toothless big guy had given her. She closed her eyes, when she opened them again she caught a flash in front of her. Her gun. No knight in shining armor was going to save her. If she was going to live through this she was going to have to do it herself.  
  
Slowly she began to raise her body from the ground. Johnny watched with a smile as tried to get off the blood stained ground. His mirth quickly changed to annoyance as she sat succeeded in sitting up without falling back over. He tapped the bartender on the shoulder and nodded towards her. The bartender took his cue and walked over towards her. He was fully intent on making sure she didn't get up this time.  
  
Faye raised her hands in front of her face as if to block his attack. He stopped about two feet from her. She looked up at him, blood running from her mouth, and smiled at him.  
  
"Come on guys, there is no need to kill me. I get the point, I'm done." She raised her hands in surrender signal and let them fall. "No more threats, no nothing. You guys are free to live your lives of dangerous crime. No problems from me."  
  
The bartender looked back at Johnny, then back to her. She didn't know what the look meant but it didn't look good. He smiled a big toothless grin at her, "But this is more fun." He lifted his large right leg and kicked her square in the shoulder. She felt a small pop, Great plan Faye, she chided herself as she landed, knocking more tables down. She fell right on top of her gun…wow, I didn't think it would actually work. She put her right hand around the gun, keeping it hidden from sight behind her hip. He was right by he now lifting his leg for another kick. Faye brought the gun quickly up, placing it against his crotch.  
  
She smiled up at him, "Have fun with this." She pulled the trigger, and blood splattered across her face and shirt. The man fell screaming to the ground grabbing at his now, non-existent penis.  
  
Johnny and the other two were firing in no time. She scrambled behind the closest overturned table, firing wildly as she went. She leaned against the table. "Ok," she whispered to herself as she checked the clip in her gun. "Now, what? I could have called Spike and Jet if I hadn't LEFT the damn COMMUNICATOR on the BEBOP." She smacked the clip back into place. "Damn smart move, Faye." She turned and fired again as she ran to the next table.  
  
The bartender was dead now, shoot at the right angle…and there you go. One of the flunkies made a run, he leapt over the table. She shot him in mid air, his gun dropping beside her. He got one lucky hit before he let his gun go though, hitting her in her already bruised and battered shoulder.  
  
She picked up his gun, and made a run for another table. "Gee, keep this up and you might actually get out of this alive." She said to the bullet- ridden air around her. She sat behind a table, reloading her gun. The firing stopped.  
  
"Alright, sweetheart, till next time." Johnny's voice rang out through the silence.  
  
Faye looked slowly over the top of the sideways table. Johnny was grabbing his side and the other guys was limping a little as they ran towards the back door. She hit them with one of her wild shots, Damn lucky.  
  
She lifted herself off the ground and stood, slowly. Her adrenaline was still pumping so she wasn't feeling the wounds…yet. She made her way slowly out the front door, and to her Red Tail. She got in and set the autopilot for the Bebop.  
  
"Good job, Faye. She said with a small smirk.  
  
  
  
Ok, hi. I hope you liked that, it was my very first time writing an action sequence…sorry if it sucked. Please read and review. Please. With sugar on top.  
  
Next chapter: Stupidity and Death. Faye gets back to the Bebop and Spike and Jet play nurse. Well Spike more than Jet, he just provides the bandages. 


	3. Chapter 3: Stupidity and Death

Disclaimers are the same. I have not yet figured out a way to own the characters, but my plotting will continue.  
  
Author's Note. So Hi, I got one new review that asked me to continue, and I can't disappoint my fan. Wish I had fans…and maybe some day I will. If you guys would just review. Ok, on with the story.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Stupidity and Death  
  
Spike and Jet were sitting across from each other on the couches. Each man was armed waiting for the other's move. They had been staring at one another for five minutes. Each man testing the other mentally, this move might be the one to end it all. Jet went first and fired a large ball of stale bread at Spike. Spike easily caught the horribly hard wad of bread in his mouth and fired off one of his own. They had been doing this for two hours now.  
  
"Why are we doing this again?" Spike asked as he tried to swallow the bread.  
  
"What else would we be doing?" Jet replied as he watched a golf ball sized piece fly over his head.  
  
"Good point." Spike threw two balls at once. One pegged Jet in the nose, and the other hit his knee. He watched as Jet readied three missiles of bread, but his attention was taken from his attacker as he heard a ship dock in the bay, loudly. "Faye's back." He said as he got hit in the head with three very large and hard objects.  
  
"So. She's probably drunk or angry. Or both. I don't want to deal with that." Jet said getting up from his couch. "I'm gonna get more ammo. Need some?" Spike looked into his bowl and nodded.  
  
"You know, this is really sad, Jet."  
  
"I know. Do you care?"  
  
Spike didn't answer he just took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. He inhaled deeply as he watched Jet disappear into the kitchen. He put his head back on the couch his arms stretched across the top. Ever since he had been back he tried to put things back to the way they were. Jet made it easy, Jet would be Jet no matter what he did. Faye, well she had tried. They had both decided to forget the little scene that played out before he left. Although she would never let him forget that she orchestrated his rescue.  
  
The door opened to the side of him, he didn't turn his head or open his eyes. He knew it was Faye, who else would it have been.  
  
"Did you have fun?" He took a long drag from his cigarette waiting for an answer.  
  
"A blast." Faye's voice came out in a harsh whisper followed by a deep gasp.  
  
Spike's eyes opened and his one brow raised, he turned his head slowly to see what the gasp was all about. He sat upright when he saw her. She was standing in the doorway one hand across her stomach, blood running down the other arm. Her face was one large blood stain and bruise. She began to walk forward and caught herself from falling on the railing right in front of her. Spike quickly jumped off of the couch and was by her side before her legs gave out completely. He was holding her up, her good hand pinned to its spot across her stomach. She couldn't swat him away.  
  
"Let me go, Spike. I can walk. I'm fine." Faye struggled to get away a little. Her body raked with the pain from the movement so she stopped.  
  
"Uh huh. That's why you're falling all the time." Spike said as he helped her down the stairs. "Jet get in here now!"  
  
"Do you have to yell?" Faye said in a slight whisper. He looked down at the top of her head. Her face was in his shoulder.  
  
"Does it bother you?" He felt her nod a little into his shoulder. "Jet!" He yelled louder than before. He couldn't make out exactly what she said but he knew it wasn't anything good. He smiled, torturing her always made him feel better.  
  
"What the hell are you yelling about Spike!" Jet yelled as he came out of the kitchen with a bowl full of bread balls. "Are you really that bored." Jet stopped in his tracks when he saw Faye. He dropped the bowl and bread scattered across the floor. "What the hell?!" He ran over to help Spike get Faye to the couch.  
  
"I don't know, yet. Go get some bandages or something." Spike said again taking the full weight of Faye's almost limp body.  
  
"Right." Jet ran off to get the first aid kit, hoping he refilled it after the last time.  
  
Spike laid Faye on the couch he had been sitting on. He pulled the table closer so he could sit by the side of the couch. Before sitting down he ran into the kitchen and got a bowl of water and a towel. He sat down on the table. Faye was laying with her unhurt arm draped over her stomach, eyes closed. She opened them again as she heard Spike return.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked in a small yet annoyed voice.  
  
"Cleaning the wounds." He brought the wet cloth to her face. She winced and he took it away. He looked down at her for a second, a frown coming to his face, and then put the cloth back. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing." She wasn't going to give him any other reason to think she was inept. She was alive wasn't she, that was something. She looked at him as he rinsed out the towel, his frown had taken over his usually carefree face. He probably wouldn't think being alive was such a big accomplishment. I'll bring it up later, when he looks happier. Or when I feel better. Which ever comes first.  
  
"Doesn't look like nothing." He wiped away the blood around her eye, and found a large bruise forming.  
  
"You should see the other guys." She smiled a little, and looked up at him. He returned her smile with a small smirk of his own. He then took the cloth to her mouth, and wiped away the dried blood around and on her lips. Her lips regained some of their normal color after he wiped some of the blood away. He put a little water in his hand and put it over her mouth. She drank some of it and coughed a little. He put his hand down.  
  
"Other guys, huh?" He smirked as he rinsed off the towel. "Bet they don't have a scratch right?"  
  
"Go to hell, Spike." She said coughing a little, tightening her grip on her stomach. "Actually half of them are dead, and the others are wounded."  
  
"You sound proud." He said putting the towel down and leaning down to check her shoulder. The bruise was bad and she had small cuts on it. "JET!!" He yelled looking up to the door he went out. "Where the hell is he?"  
  
"Didn't think you would care this much." Faye said in a sharp gasp of pain as Spike attempted to lift her arm. "DON'T DO THAT!"  
  
"DON'T YELL AT ME!" He replied putting his hands over his ears. "I'm just trying to help."  
  
"Well don't you're only making it worse." She moved her good arm a little to try and sit up. "I just need some sleep. I'll go to my room and sleep this off."  
  
"You're not going anywhere until we clean you up." Jet's voice rang out over them as he entered the room, carrying loads of bandages. He set the stuff on the ground beside the table Spike was on. He turned his head to Spike. "Don't you two ever stop?"  
  
"Hey," Spike said lifting his hands in defeat. "Don't look at me. She's the one being testy." Spike got off the table and went to the kitchen.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Jet said as he started to fill a small syringe with some clear liquid. Faye watched through one open eye. She really hadn't expected either of them to give a damn about her, let alone sit here and fix her up. Her eyes caught Spike in the doorway of the kitchen holding a bowl and a glass filled with water. He caught her eye and quickly frowned, and looked down at the ground. Just then she felt a sharp pain in the side of her leg.  
  
"What the hell was that!?" Faye screamed as her body tensed up a little. She then gasped at the pain of her sudden movement and stopped moving for a while.  
  
"A PAIN KILLER! Stop yelling at us." Jet said as he put the syringe down and lifted up some bandages.  
  
"Sorry." Faye said in a voice so small both men barely caught it. Spike and Jet looked at one another with raised eyebrows. They shrugged and went back to the task at hand.  
  
"It should be taking effect soon. Are you feeling any better?" Jet said as he moved to inspect her busted up shoulder.  
  
"Not really. But I think I'm at the best you're gonna get." Faye said closing her eyes. She knew what was coming.  
  
Spike was sitting on the table again, he moved his hand until it was hovering over the one she had draped on her stomach. He looked at her hand, and then to her face, and back again. Finally he took a deep breath, Damnit Spike, just do it, he chided himself. He then put his hand down on hers taking hold of it. He squeezed a little, and Faye opened her eyes. Neither of them said a word, they just kept eye contact for a minute. Faye then slid her hand away from his a little. Spike let go, and at that moment Jet lifted her arm a little. Faye screamed and grabbed up with her good hand and brought Spike's hand back to her stomach. She squeezed it, and Spike screamed out with her.  
  
"OW! FAYE!" Jet stopped moving Faye's arm, and looked at Spike. Faye let go of Spike's hand and he sat cradling his now wounded hand.  
  
Faye didn't even give him a reply she was too busy gasping for breath. The pain going through her arm was throbbing through her entire body. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her body was raking with the pain.  
  
"Calm down, Faye." Jet said in the least gruff voice he could manage. He put his hand to her forehead, and turned to Spike. "Its dislocated. We're gonna have to put it back." Spike let his hand fall and nodded at Jet. Jet turned back to Faye, who had calmed and was now working on wiping the tears off of her cheeks. "This is going to hurt."  
  
"Like that didn't." Faye said putting her hand back to her stomach. She rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'm ready. Do it now."  
  
"Want another shot?" Jet said.  
  
"Got anything stronger than what you gave me before?" Jet smiled and shook his head. "Didn't think so. Do it."  
  
"Spike. You need to hold her down." Jet said getting a grip on her elbow, and placing his hand lightly at her neck and shoulder. Spike got up and went to the end of the couch, he was looking at the top of her head. Faye tilted her head a little and looked up at him.  
  
"Hi." Spike said. She gave him a small smile, blood was again under her eye.  
  
"Hi." Faye said. She then put her hand over the one Jet had on her shoulder. "Do it." Jet pulled. Faye's screams echoed through out the Bebop. Spike closed his eyes, a scream had never bothered him so much. He felt like he was taking part in someone's torture.  
  
Five minutes later Faye had stopped sobbing and gasping, finally catching her breath. The pain was still there but it had faded considerably. Spike sat on the table again, smoking another cigarette, waiting for her to settle so they could finish. Jet sat on the floor facing the medical kit he brought, the smoke coming from his head, told Faye he was smoking too.  
  
"Can I get one of those?" Faye said looking to Jet. Her arm was now in a sling, the bullet wound across her shoulder had been dressed while she was screaming.  
  
"No." Jet said. "You made a mess in the hangar. Blood everywhere. You get nothing." Jet said getting off the ground.  
  
"Spike always got cigarettes when he would come back all beat up." Faye said pouting a little.  
  
"That's because you gave them to him." Jet said.  
  
"He stole them!" Faye said moving to get up. She gasped and slammed back to the couch. "DAMN!"  
  
"Let me see your ribs." Spike said moving her good arm. "And I did not. They were mine to begin with."  
  
Faye just rolled her eyes. Spike lifted her arm and moved her shirt a little, though not much considering it didn't really cover that much of her. The bruises on her stomach were large and some had cuts in them. He moved his fingers lightly over her skin, it tensed a little under his touch. He smiled, he didn't know why.  
  
"What did this?" He asked. Jet came over and looked, his face contorted a little.  
  
"Probably the big guys foot as it hit me repeatedly." Faye said trying to see her stomach with out lifting her pounding head too much. She gave up after a while, and just laid back on the couch.  
  
"Who did this?" Spike said getting a little ticked. No one beat up one of his friends like this. When did I start caring what happened to her? Shit. You always cared.  
  
"Johnny Nikos." Faye said, putting her good hand over her eyes. "If that damn bartender hadn't got the drop on me I would have got him."  
  
"Jesus Faye." Jet said lightly touching her bruised skin. "Spike clean the cuts, we're gonna have to sit her up to set the ribs." Jet then left the room again.  
  
Spike began to clean the small cuts in Faye's stomach. They sat in silence for a little while. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to come back here all broke and beat up." Spike said finishing with the cuts.  
  
"I would gladly trade places with you if I could, cowboy." Faye said closing her eyes under her arm.  
  
Spike got off the table and started to walk off. "I would if I could." He said lighting up another cigarette.  
  
Faye just peeked out over her arm and watched him walk out. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, or if she wanted to know.  
  
Jet came back in, and he set her ribs. He yelled a little about Spike bailing out on him. He gave her another shot of the pain killer and set a glass of water on the table for her. He then left the room mumbling something about having to clean the entire ship now. Faye closed her eyes and shortly after Jet left she fell asleep. She dreamt of strangling Johnny Nikos, it was a good dream.  
  
Faye's eyes began to flutter open at the sound of shuffling cards. She blinked a few times, and tried to move a little, and then remembered why she shouldn't. She took a deep breath in and opened her eyes completely. She was still in the common room. She had a blanket on, and sitting in a chair on the other side of the table shuffling a deck of cards, hunched over the table was Spike Spiegel. She smiled a little.  
  
"You always wake up when you hear cards shuffling?" Spike said with a bit of a smirk.  
  
"Guess so." Faye said swallowing a little hard. "Kind of like you and humming."  
  
Spike stopped shuffling and set the cards down. He didn't smile back at her, he just looked up at her. She smiled and her lips cracked a little, she brought her good hand up to them.  
  
"Here." Spike said bringing her a glass of water. He held it to her lips and she drank it slowly. "More?" He asked still holding the cup near her mouth.  
  
She shook her head slowly. "No." She narrowed her eyes a little. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Where else would I be?" Spike said, he gave her a smile that faded in to his trademark smirk. "You are on my couch."  
  
"Lunkhead." Faye said. She closed her eyes again.  
  
"Why did you go out there alone?" Spike said, sitting down on the table again. He leaned over a little so he was closer to her. "Why go after Nikos alone?"  
  
"Money." Faye said swallowing again. "Mainly money."  
  
"Money, its all about money with you isn't it?" Spike asked taking out a cigarette. Faye looked up at him, and watched him put the pack down beside him.  
  
"Well, that's what you were expecting wasn't it?" Faye said slowly reaching her good hand over towards the pack of cancer sticks.  
  
Spike watched her struggle to get the cigarettes. "Why else, Faye? You said 'mainly' not totally." He took the cigarette from his mouth and held it to hers. "Here." She slowly opened her mouth and took the cigarette from his hand. "What other reason would you have to go after him alone?"  
  
Faye took a deep inhale of the cigarette, letting it out slowly. She looked away from Spike's inquiring eyes. "Prove I could."  
  
"Prove you could what?!" Spike said taking a drag off of his fresh cigarette. "Get yourself killed! Well congratulations."  
  
Faye just closed her eyes, and turned her head away from him. Spike got up from the table.  
  
"You know, Faye, there is a fine line between stupidity and death. And you are dancing on it." Spike looked down at her beaten body on the yellow couch. Faye's head had turned and she was now looking him in the eyes.  
  
"There is a fine line between everything, cowboy. We all dance on it at one time." Faye kept her eyes locked with Spike's. The two of them just stared at each other for a couple minutes. To each of them the minutes seemed like forever. Both of their faces were hard, no smiles, no smirks. Spike broke off first, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." He began to walk away. "I'm going to bed."  
  
Faye watched him as far as she could before her couch bed hindered her vision. She then closed her eyes. She opened them again and spotted Spike's abandoned pack of cigs. She reached ever so slowly and painfully to the pack. She grabbed it quickly and put it in her front pocket. Your loss, Spike. 


	4. Chapter 4: Deep Thoughts and Deeper Brea...

Disclaimer: same ol' same ol'. However that will all change soon * laughs in a very evil manner, all the while plotting world domination *  
  
Author's note: Um.yay! I got reviews, and good ones at that. I'm glad you guys like it so far. And I realize that a lot of you weren't interested before the third chapter, but I think that's because it didn't start out with a lot of F/S. Trust me, its coming. I'm a big Faye/ Spike fan. I just wanted to set the scene. Hope you like this one.  
  
Sorry for the late coming in the chapter. I just moved across the country and haven't really had time to sit down and write. So half was written back home and the other half was written in my new home. * Ugh. Thoughts of being on my own.ugh. * So I'm sorry if it sucks, it was written in different mindsets. READ AND REVIEW  
  
Chapter 4 Deep Thoughts and Deeper Breaths  
  
"Damnit Spike!!" Faye yelled as she quickly wrapped a towel around her and ran out of the bathroom. It had been about a week since her not so happy homecoming, and she was still healing. Her shoulder was still deeply bruised and her ribs still hurt when the she moved too much, but other than that she was pretty much back to her old self. And her shipmates had also returned to their usual selves. She bounded down the hall stopping for a second to catch her breath, and let the small pain in her sides dissipate. At first it had been nice, weird but nice. Jet was actually making good food, and Spike wasn't being as much of an ass. But that all changed yesterday. Her "comrades" started yelling and bitching at her again. Like it's my fault they don't have any money. Faye thought as she made her way to the common room. Spike was sprawled out on the couch as usual, a paper lay over his eyes. His hands were placed behind his head. Even though he couldn't see anything, he knew she was in the room. He could smell her shampoo, at least he hoped it was her shampoo. He really didn't want to think of Jet smelling like some fruit blend. "What are you yelling about now?" Spike said not taking the paper from his eyes. "Look, I don't know how you do it, but some how you always freeze me in the shower." Faye stood at the railing one hand tightly grasping it, the other keeping her towel on. "So stop it!" "I don't know what you're talking about I was here the entire time." Spike said, he took the paper off of his face at the sound of Faye's sigh. He brought his head up to look at her, hoping he wouldn't find her in the same condition he had before. For some reason he had been thinking a lot about that. Every time Faye let out one of her annoyed breaths he kept remembering the gasps and screams from a week ago. "If you don't believe me ask Jet." He turned his head towards the bridge. "Yo! Jet! Did I get up and mess with the water?" "What the hell are you talking about?!" Came Jet's angered voice. "How the hell would I know what you did?!" "See." Spike said looking back to Faye with a big smile on his face.  
  
"See, what?" Faye said tightening her grip on the railing. "He didn't say anything." She let out another deep sigh and closed her eyes. Her head fell down and she looked down at the grating floor beneath her bare feet. She took in a quick breath, it was a little painful, she gasped it in fully. Spike's smile faltered but she didn't see it, he sat up on the couch. Faye looked up again, still pissed and still wearing a towel. Spike hadn't noticed the towel before. His eyes lingered for a second and after meeting Faye's they went to his pack of cigarettes on the table. "I don't know why I bother. Maybe I should go and get myself beaten up again. That seemed to make you guys like me for a while." Faye turned and left the room, she wanted to put clothes on, it was cold. Spike's head snapped back to where she had been standing. He watched her walk away, and part of him wished she hadn't. Damnit Spike! Faye is Faye. Faye is not some one to have feelings for. Faye is someone to torture and make fun of. After that rousing session of self assurance Spike lit up a cigarette and went back to staring at the inside of his eyes.  
  
"Check this out." Jet said coming into the common room. Spike was sitting on the couch staring at the computer, looking for a good bounty. Faye was sitting on the chair opposite filing her nails. She felt better sitting, it didn't stretch her wounded ribs at all. Her freshly washed jeans and shirt were still warm from the dryer and her hair was still in a towel. "What's up." Spike said not looking away from the computer. Jet put the paper in front of the screen. Spike grabbed it and held it close to his face. "Some one caught Johnny Nikos." Jet said putting his hands on his hips. Faye jumped out of the chair and ran over to the couch, grabbing the paper on the way. She landed a little hard and paid for it, with a loud rush of pain. "Careful, Faye." Spike said moving over a little on the couch to give her some room. "Oh, shut up Spike. There is plenty of room on the couch for both of us." Faye said waving him off. "Huh?" Spike said. He hadn't meant the couch space, he meant the damage she was doing to her already hurt body. He shook his head a little, and moved over some more, acting as if she had been dead on with her assumption. "Thought you would want to know." Jet said leaving the room again. Spike looked over Faye's shoulder and read the paper. Johnny Nikos, this was the first time he saw what the bastard actually looked like. He was big, a lot bigger than he had expected. Spike looked at the long list of crimes the guy had committed. Burglary, arson, murder.rape. The last one caused Spike to look at Faye. Her eyes must have read the same thing, she looked distant. Her eyes were glazing over and her hands were tightening on the paper. "Faye." Spike said, he brought his hand up and was about to put it on her shoulder. At the last minute he rethought that move and put it back down. He took a deep breath. "I thought you would be happy." "I wanted to get the bastard. I wanted to hurt him. I still do." Faye said still looking at the paper. "You want to go up against him again?" Spike said. "Unbelievable Faye. Will you ever learn? Did you read the stuff this guy has done? Over twenty murders in the last four years. Countless rapes. Do you know how lucky you were to get away from this guy with the injuries you had? You could have been." "Don't you think I know that!" Faye cut him off, slamming the paper on the table. She stared at the her knees and her hands fisted on top. "I don't think you do. Do you really want to end up dead, Faye." Spike said leaning toward her a little. "Sometimes." Faye said in barely a whisper of a voice. Spike moved a little closer to her. "Oh who the hell am I kidding. No, I don't want to end up dead. I just want you to stop thinking of me as some inept, helpless woman." "Trust me, I would never call you helpless." Spike said with a smirk. "Now, inept." "Shut up." Faye said with a slight smile. Spike smiled widely and before he knew what he was doing he put his hand on her shoulder. Faye looked at him, and then to his hand, and then back to his eyes. He was still smiling. Then Spike noticed his hand on her shoulder, he looked at it, and then back to Faye's blank eyes. Both of them seemed to inhale a deep breath at the same time. His smile faded, but he kept his hand on her shoulder. "I don't think you're inept, Faye. You could just think more about your actions." His hand was still on her shoulder, his eyes boring holes into hers. "And you think about everything you do?" Faye said. Her eyes quickly looked to the hand on her shoulder, and then went back to his. "Everything." Spike said. He slid his hand down off of her shoulder and down the back of her arm. Just as they both opened their mouths to say something the ships alarms started going off, and lights were flashing everywhere.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!" Spike yelled as he ran up to the bridge where Jet was franticly pushing buttons. "We're being boarded!" Jet said getting up out of his chair, pulling out his gun. "What!?" Faye asked as Jet ran by her. Spike followed in suit, his gun out. He gave Faye a shrug of his shoulders and bounded down the stairwell. Faye sighed and pulled her gun following the two men to the hangar. The three of them stood at the metallic door waiting for whoever it was to come out. Faye was standing beside Spike, her gun raised and ready. The shipped shook violently and the three of them went slamming into the walls. Faye hit her shoulder off of a pipe and let out a small scream. Spike turned around and found her grabbing her shoulder with her gun hand. "You alright?" Spike asked moving a step closer to her. "Fine." Faye said in her normal voice. "Just hit it on the bruise. Keep your head on whoever is in there. Stop worrying about me. I got your back." "I know." Spike said returning his gaze to the door. The sounds of the hangar doors closing were heard loud and clear by the three bounty hunters on the other side. Jet nodded at Spike and Faye, and then put his hand up to the button to open the door. They all raised their guns ready to shoot anything that moved. The door opened and they rushed in, Spike taking a crouching position beside a box, Jet doing the same on the other side of him, and Faye taking the position in the middle. She had a clear path to the door behind her just in case. The three waited, guns ready, but nothing came out. There was a new ship in the hangar, but no one was there. "Must still be in the ship." Jet whispered over to them. The two men got off the ground and the three of them made their way slowly toward the ship. Suddenly the ship's hatch opened in a cloud of smoke. A loud bark was heard. The three looked to one another and then back to the ship. "No way." Spike said. "It couldn't be." Faye said. "Oh man." Jet said, as a figure formed in the smoke. "ED IS BAAACCKK!!!!" came an all too familiar voice from the intruder ship.  
  
Faye was sitting in her chair again, nursing her newly sore ribs from the hug Ed had given her. Jet was sitting on the couch taking up Spike's job of looking for bounties. Ein was sitting at his feet sleeping. Spike came threw the kitchen door holding two cups of steaming hot liquid. He walked slowly, not because of the scalding liquid, but because of the small form of Ed attached to his leg. She had attached herself to his leg after giving Jet and Faye hugs. Spike tried to shake her off for ten minutes then gave up figuring sooner or later she would get bored. That was twenty minutes ago. "Here" Spike said handing out one of the cups to Faye. She looked up and smiled, not really catching his eyes. She was feeling a bit weird about what happened on the couch earlier, and instead of confronting it, she decided to hide in a corner. Well, on a chair, staring out into space, but it worked just the same. "Thanks." Faye grabbed the cup and readjusted herself into the chair. Spike just stood there looking at her for a minute, wondering what was wrong. Finally he rolled his eyes and went to sit on the couch next to Jet. "Anything look good?" Spike asked sipping his coffee. HE looked down at Ed snuggling her face to his leg and slammed his head back on the cushion. He smiled in spite of himself. It was nice having Ed back, no matter how weird the kid was or how much he said she bugged him, she was part of the crew. The family. And what a messed up family it was. He looked over at Faye without moving his head. She had been looking at him, but her head quickly snapped back out the window as their eyes met. Spike's head snapped up, looking at her. There was a small tint of a blush on her cheeks. "Spike-person, Ed is happy you are not gone." Ed was still snuggling her face to his pant leg. "Thanks Ed, me too." Spike said ruffling her wild red hair. "You think you could let go now?" "No. Ed is not letting go of Spike-person until Ed is good and ready." She tightened her hold on his leg. Faye giggled a little from the chair. Jet gave a snort of a laugh. "Hey, check this guy out.oh wait, never mind. He's dead." Jet said slumping back onto the palm of his hand. "I give up for the night, I'm going to my room." Spike watched as Jet retreated defeated out of the room. "Come on Ed, let go." He started to shake his leg again, more violently as time went on. "Ed. Now." "I don't think she's listening." Faye said walking past the chair to the kitchen. Spike looked down at his leg and sure enough Ed was sleeping. He rolled his eyes and looked at his cup. Suddenly it hit him. He held the cup over Ed's form and poured the rest of its contents on her. Ed jumped up and ran around the room, yelling. "OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWch." Faye who had come out of the kitchen smiled and then frowned at the man smiling on the couch. "Spike-person burnt Ed." "Geez, Lunkhead you could have really burned her." Faye said putting her hands on her hips. She smiled a little at the small discomfort on his face and walked towards the door. Spike looked down at his pant leg, and frowned. "See, Ed, he's sorry." Faye said looking at him and then to Ed who was hanging upside down from the ceiling. "Lunkhead, Lunkhead, lunkhead.LUNKHEAD!!!" Ed began chanting from the kitchen. "I got my pants all wet." Spike said brushing the pant leg. Faye just let out another sigh and left the room. Spike got off the couch and moved to follow. All of a sudden he felt a searing splash of water. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Faye heard the yell in the hallway, she thought about going back, but decided against it. Ed came running out of the room. "Ed likes this game, Spike-person's turn." She yelled behind her.  
  
After changing Spike had gone looking for Faye, he wanted to talk to her. He finally found her on the observation deck sitting across from Ed. Both of them had their eyes closed and were breathing deeply. Spike just kind of looked at them for a while with a slowly smile forming on his face. He picked up a glass of water that was sitting on the stool beside him, and walked over in front of Faye. "Don't even think about it." Faye said opening one eye and looking up at Spike. He was holding the cup right over her head. "What?" Spike asked putting on his innocent face. "Spike-person, Ed and Faye-Faye are trying to think." Ed said from behind him. "It looked more like you were sleeping." "Ed learned this from father-person. Sit for hours taking DEEEEP BREATHs." Ed started moving her hands around in the air. "CLEAR THE MIND." "So if you don't mind." Faye said closing her eyes again. She had been thinking about Spike, probably too hard. He was weird that way, if you thought about him enough, he would just show up. She was beginning to have those 'not just friends feelings' again. But the way he was acting it looked like he was too. Deep breath. It was getting on her nerves. If he did feel something why didn't he tell her? Or was they destined to have this torturous relationship for the rest of their lives? Deep breath. Could I live with it if that was the case? What else can I do.go and tell him. Deeper breath. I could talk to Jet. Laugh. Deep Breath. Maybe I should talk to Spike. Faye opened her eyes and looked over at Ed. Ed had taken up a position standing on her head. She was sleeping. "Who knew that would actually help." Faye said to the sleeping form of Ed. She pushed on her leg as she left the room, knocking the child off of her head to a curled up position on the ground. "Now where is that Lunkhead."  
  
In the hangar bay Spike sat with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and an exasperated look. He let out a deep sigh and looked around the hangar bay making sure he was alone. When he was satisfied he closed his eyes, and began to think. This is so stupid. Deep breath. Ed and her crazy ideas. Why does Faye think this will help? Deep Breath. Why does Faye think half the things she does will help? Going out and getting beaten to a pulp. What did that help? Nothing. Deep breath. What is with me lately? All I seem to think about is her. I'm just worried about her that's all. Worried that she'll go out and do something stupid again. Get herself beat up.or worse. Like I did. Deep breath. Damnit. Deeper breath. What if its more than that? What if its not just worry? Deeper breath. Maybe I can talk to Jet. Laugh. Deep Breath. I should talk to Faye. Spike opened his eyes and looked around the hangar. He put his hands in his pockets as he stood. "Who would have guessed?" he said to no one. He then made his way out of the hangar and went on a search for Faye. He made sure he had a whole pack of cigarettes, they would need them.  
  
Author's Note: That's all for Chapter four. Stay Tuned for THE TALK, and a new bounty.and plenty of new problems. 


	5. Chapter 5: Everyone Say Hi to Death

Disclaimers: All the same. Plans for owning Cowboy Bebop and all the characters has been derailed by cake. Damn cake.always getting in my way with its chocolate-goodness. Dagnabbit.  
  
Author's Note: I'm building up to the romance part of it, I really am. Right now I'm kind of working on the action part. I wanted to try and keep with the humorous parts of the show, that's just the way I write. The mush will enter. If you've been reading you probably see it building.  
  
Chapter Five: Everyone Say Hi to Death  
  
Spike walked out of the hangar bay and into the cold hallway. He lit up yet another cigarette as he walked. His goal was to find Faye and talk to her about what had happened earlier. 'You see, Faye, the thing about me putting my hand on your shoulder and then caressing your arm... NO Not caressing.touching.GAHHH! I didn't mean it. It was nothing. You should know that.why am I telling you this.' Yeah, that will work. Tell her she already knew it meant nothing. Back her into a wall. Suddenly Spike's footsteps stopped. He turned quickly to his right and slammed his head into the wall. "Damnit!" He yelled.  
  
Faye had been walking for about five minutes now. She didn't exactly know where she was going, but she knew if she walked around the ship enough times she would eventually run into Spike. She needed to talk to him. Find out what he was thinking. 'I can't do this. I can't have feelings for him. He's tainted goods.his heart is broken, whether he wants to admit it or not. He's a friend. I'm not going to screw this up.' The only problem was how was she going to tell him. 'He probably didn't even mean anything by the damn arm touching thing. It was.a slip. Yeah a slip.' A slip. That's it down play it from the get go. Faye looked up at the ceiling and a little down the hall, she was heading towards the hangar bay. She could just go to her ship and leave, that always killed tension. Every time she came back they were angry. Her thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar sound. "Damnit!" Spike voice filled the small hallway. "Found him." Faye said to no one. She took a deep breath and walked steadily forward, lighting a cigarette on the way.  
  
Spike was banging his head off the wall, not too hard, but hard enough to knock some sense into him. He wasn't falling for Faye, she was just there. That's all. He stopped banging his head off the wall, as he heard clacking of heels approach. He knew those heels. They gave him nightmares. Faye. He turned his head to the left and saw her, nothing but a shadow with a glowing circular flame in front of where her head should be. He looked down to his mouth and the cigarette that hung there. A smirk came to his lips. His forehead was still attached to the wall. She moved closer, stopping about five feet from him, her hands on her hips a small smile playing on her lips. He moved away from the wall and stood facing her. Both of their smiles faded at the same time.  
  
"Faye." Spike began, the cigarette bouncing with the words. "Spike." Faye said, her cigarette doing the same dance. They both opened their mouths at the same time to say the next words, however neither of them would find out what those words were. Another set of footsteps, heavier, and in a bit of a hurry came down the hall behind Spike. "Spike." Jet said, a little out of breath. "Jet." Spike said in return glancing over at the man. "Faye." Jet said, lifting an eyebrow noticing for the first time she was in the hall. Spike's form had completely hidden her. "Jet." Faye said, removing the cigarette from her mouth and blowing some smoke into the air. "Uh.?" Jet started but the look on both of their faces told him not to. He shook his head. "I found a bounty."  
  
Jet was sitting on the couch pulling up the information on the new bounty. Spike was sprawled out next to him, his feet up on the table. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was staring at his feet. Faye was seated in the big chair she had been in earlier that night, only now it was closer to the table, right across from Spike. Her feet were tucked under her, and her arms were draped over her knees. She was staring at Spike's feet as well. They looked up at the same time, met each other's eyes and stayed that way for a while. Ed was on the floor kicking and growling at Ein. Ein was just staring at Ed.  
  
"Here we go." Jet's voice boomed. Spike and Faye broke eye contact, and looked over at Jet. "Maurice Weston." Jet turned the screen so both Spike and Faye could have a look. "Maurice?" Faye said moving closer. "What kind of a bad guy has a name like Maurice?" "This one." Jet said his voice annoyed. "And he usually doesn't go by that name. Most people call him Death." "OOOO. Scaaaaarrrrrry." Ed said popping her head up from behind the screen.  
  
"My thoughts exactly kid." Spike said putting his hands on his knees. "What exactly do you do to get a name like Death." Faye asked as she read down the list of crimes. "Uh, my guess would be.kill people." Spike said pushing her slightly out of the way so he could see the list. Faye huffed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. She resigned herself to looking over Spike's puffy head.  
  
"A lot of people." Jet said leaning back in the couch. "There's no picture." Faye said pointing at the screen over Spike's head. "Yeah, so?" Jet said. "He's killed all the people on Lester Station. So we go there, and ask if anyone's heard of a guy named Death." "Can't be too many people there named Death." Spike said moving away from the screen. "Not a very common name," Faye said sitting back as well. The three of them sat there and smiled for a couple seconds. The bounty was for 6 million woolongs. Not bad for one guy. And there were three of them, four if you counted Ed. Which no one did.  
  
It was going to take them ten hours to get to Lester. Jet had set the coordinates and went back to bed. Ed was off somewhere chasing Ein. Spike was sitting on the couch hunched over, forearms on his knees. Faye was in the exact same position directly across from him. They hadn't moved or said anything in almost an hour. "It was a slip. A mistake." Faye said her eyes still on his. "Right. We chalk it up to.lack of food." Spike said. "Lack of sleep." Faye put up a hand. "Good. That sounds about right." Spike said. They again sat in silence. "So." Faye began, leaning back a little. Spike did the same. "We forget about it." Spike said, reaching in his pocket for a cigarette, he put the cigarette in his mouth and went on a search for his lighter. A flame appeared before his face. Faye with his lighter. He moved closer and lit his cigarette. "I'm glad we had this little talk." Faye said lighting her own cigarette. She was standing now, putting the lighter back on the table. It was his after all. Spike watched her put it down and smirked. "Yep." He stretched out on the couch and kicked off his boots. His hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He heard Faye leave the room, the clacking of her heels on the grating his only clue as to where she was. He opened one eye just in time to see her completely disappear into the dark hallway. He let out a deep breath.  
  
This conversation was becoming a ritual. It was freakishly familiar. It was exactly like the conversation they had when he came back from the fight with Vicious. Of course the reason he had been on the couch was he couldn't get up. And Faye had been there, watching over him. again. She had been humming. again, and woke him up. They stared at one another that time too. Spike really didn't know why he stared at the woman, it was like he could say everything to her by just looking in her eyes. They could read one another. Freaky. The only difference between this conversation and the one that they had six months ago was that Faye had decided they should forget about what happened. Spike hadn't argued. And Faye left the room humming and smoking a cigarette, after putting on in his mouth for him. Yep. They really knew how to handle problems. They had a great relationship. "Friendship. No. Partnership." Spike said in a hoarse whisper. "Not relationship." He closed his eyes and went to sleep, the clacking of Faye's boots again filling his mind and his dreams.  
  
Eleven hours after the meeting in the common room, all the Beboppers were docked in a the large hangar of Lester Station. Lester had been one of the more successful attempts at building a realistic space colony. Once you entered the large metallic sphere it was just like being on a real planet. It even had its own gravitational pull, and a small satellite serving as a make shift moon. The four of them stepped out of the transport and shielded their eyes from the makeshift sunlight. "Its like being on Earth." Faye said putting on pair of red sunglasses. She was wearing the yellow hot pants instead of her jeans. She had slipped on something of Ein's and fell in it. She had cursed and laughed at herself. Damn happy that Spike hadn't been there to see it. Her jeans were now sitting down in the laundry room with a hell of a lot of soap soaking into them. Spike looked over at her from under his arm and silently wished he'd brought sunglasses. He looked down at her bare pale legs and had thoughts of the good old days. The days when they didn't have to have those ritual talks about forgetting things. The days when they would torture one another and fight into the wee hours of the morning. This trip was going to be good for them. Get them back to the good old days. After all Faye was wearing the shorts again. "Lets go." Jet said. And they all took off. Jet and Spike kind of in the lead, Faye pulling up the rear keeping an eye on Ed. They had only been walking for twenty minutes, but Ed was getting antsy. Ed was running around behind them, but she was being pulled everyone and a while by a short cord that was attached to Faye's wrist. Faye had been the one to say "Why not. She's part of the crew too." After Jet and Spike had said no to Ed's pleading to come along. So now Faye was stuck babysitting Ed. The cord had been an ingenious way of making sure Ed didn't get into any trouble. She had broken a pair of her hand cuffs and had Jet solder a metal cord to the ends. Ed was wearing one bracelet and Faye had the other. Faye smiled at herself, and then Ed. Suddenly she was running after her left hand as it led her in Ed's direction. She shrieked as she passed the laughing Jet and Spike. She looked back over her shoulder and shot them a look and flipped them off.  
  
Jet and Spike finally caught up to them by a big window display of wedding dresses. Faye was bent over trying to get her breath, her ribs still a little were protesting her breathing. "Hey, Ed. Don't run off like that." Jet said between laughs. "Faye's still recuperating." He laughed. Faye shot him a glance as he went to pry Ed away from the window. "You okay?" Spike said taking a hit from his cigarette as he stopped beside her. Faye took a deep breath and shot him death glare. "You really shouldn't run like that." He said a giggle in his voice. She didn't even look up, she just put up a stiff middle finger at him. He laughed and held out the cigarette. "Here." She moved her hair from her face and grabbed the cigarette. "Lunkhead." She took a hit and instantly felt better. Ah sweet relief. She suddenly winced as she was jerked a little by Ed running in a new direction. The only flaw in her plan had been attaching Ed to her left arm. That was the one that had been dislocated and beaten on just last week. But she needed to keep her gun hand open incase they ran into Death. Decisions, decisions.  
  
She tried to pull Ed back, but didn't have enough power in the still sore arm. Spike laughed again, and put a stiff hand on top of the cuff on Faye's wrist. He pulled as hard as he could and yanked Ed all the way to Faye's feet. "Ha." Faye yelled at Ed, who was now rubbing her sore bottom. "Thanks." She said to Spike, his hand still on her wrist. "No problem. Its always fun throwing the pip-squeak around." Spike removed his hand. "You should have put her on the other hand." "How would you like to try and shoot something, or for that matter even pull your gun with that attached to you?" Faye said lifting the cord a little. "Good point." Spike lit a new cigarette. "We need to split up." Jet said moving into the circle. "Spike and me will take this side of the city. Faye you and Ed go that way." He said pointing in the opposite direction. "We'll meet up at that bar over at eight." He checked his watch. "Right." Faye said giving a salute. She looked over at the bar. "The Blue Rhino. Interesting." A large neon blue Rhino was in the window. "At least it won't be too hard to find again." "You have your comm.?" Jet asked pulling his out making sure it was on. "Yep, never leave home without it." She looked up to three skeptical faces. "Well, almost never." No change in the faces. "Shit, I have it don't I?" she said pulling it out and shoving it back into the inside pocket of her red sweater. Jet gave a snort of a laugh and walked off. Spike shoved his hands in his pockets and walked in front of Faye. He smiled at her and ruffled Ed's hair. "See ya at eight. Don't get into too much trouble." Faye flipped him off again and threw her diminished cigarette at his slowly retreating form. She looked down at Ed, and frantically searched for a pack of cigarettes. She came up empty. She looked down at Ed again, who was now pretending to be a dog, her tongue hanging out as she panted and walked around her. The cord was wrapping around her legs. "Jesus, at least give me a pack of Cigarettes!!!!" she yelled after Spike. She heard him laugh from the distance. "GAHH!!!!" She was spun around as Ed started walking back the way they had came. "What's first Faye-Faye?" Ed said jumping around. "First we find cigarettes." Faye said rubbing her butt as she got up from the ground. "And then we find Death."  
  
It was ten minutes after eight, Spike and Jet were sitting at the bar, nursing their drinks. Nothing. They hadn't found a thing. How hard is it too find a guy known as Death. Especially when he lived there, and did all his work there. The bar was filled with smoke and people. Blues and Jazz filled the air. It was actually a really nice place to sit and think. Only the two men weren't in the mood for a good place to think. They were too damn upset. "Where is she?" Spike said throwing a pretzel in his mouth. "I hope she didn't do something stupid." Jet said giving the bartender a signal to refill his drink. Spike eyes went up to look at the side of Jet's face. He dreaded the thought of Faye all beaten and bleeding again. He did a mental shake. Just then the door burst open and in ran a barking Ed. Spike and Jet were the only ones not to turn and look. Ed, ran into the bar jumped up and over it and then back on top it again. Faye came running in right behind her, sailing into the bar stool right beside Spike. Ed, jumped off the bar and started to make a run for the jukebox. Spike again grabbed Faye's wrist and yanked. Ed came sailing back and landed at the foot of Jet's barstool. "Thirsty kid?" Jet asked Ed as he looked down at the panting young girl with a smile. Ed nodded her head violently. "Thanks." Faye said clutching her shoulder and panting for breath. "I owe you one." She said between breaths. Spike looked over at her and smiled, happy she wasn't all beat up and elated that Ed made her look like an idiot. "Two. But who's counting." He put up a hand to the bartender and he came over and looked at Faye. "What'll it be miss?" the bartender asked looking over the bar at the child on the floor. "Vodka. And lots of it." She said looking up. "Bring the whole damn bottle." The bartender smiled and looked down at the kid. "And for your kid?" "Water." Spike said laughing at Faye. The bartender strolled away and came back with the water and the bottle of Vodka, putting a small glass on the top of it. He smiled as he went to another customer.  
  
"So what did you two find out?" Spike asked as he again yanked the cord getting Ed to sit down and drink her water. She started to lap it out of the cup like a dog. "Ed is a hell of a lot stranger than I thought." Faye said looking down at Ed still on the floor, lapping up her water. "She's been acting like a dog all damn day." Faye poured a glass of vodka for herself and filled Spike's empty glass as well. She downed it and looked up at the two men, both with wide grins. "Other than that, nothing much." "Ed was a blood hound. But Ed did not smell Death." She frowned. "She lead you around all day?" Spike asked gulping down his glass of vodka refilling both cups. Faye groaned and Spike and Jet smiled. "We got nothing. No one seems to want to finger Death. Go figure." Jet said shrugging. "I heard from the cigarette guy that everyone on Lester comes in here at least once a day. My guess is he was trying to tell me Death frequented The Blue Rhino." Faye said gasping as Ed started to move around again. Spike again grabbed the cord and yanked, he smiled over at Faye and put up three fingers. She flipped him off again and drank the vodka. "So you think we should stay for a while?" Jet said looking around the room, trying to spot anyone who might look like death. "Couldn't hurt." Faye said rubbing her temples. Jet remained turned in his seat now searching the crowd in the dark. "We were getting worried." Spike said as he downed his vodka, he refilled their glasses, and looked at the bottle. Going fast. "But I had Ed the wonder mut guarding me." Faye said bringing up the slack cord in her hand. She winced as she lowered her arm and started rubbing her sore shoulder. Spike laughed. "Maybe you should disconnect from the wonder mut before you do more damage to that shoulder." Spike said moving her hand away from her shoulder. The flesh seemed to be red and a little swollen. Faye tensed as he ran his finger over the flesh. He looked up into her eyes, his fingers still on her shoulder. They both took swallowed. Faye managed to shove a grin on her face. "Yeah, good idea." She got off the barstool and pushed Ed's head. "Come on Ed. Let's go to the bathroom and remove the leash." She made her way to the bathroom, looking back only once, to find Spike's eyes still on her. She turned around and walked into the ladies room.  
  
Jet was looking at Spike from the corner of his eye, watching him watch Faye. Spike caught his glance and raised an eyebrow. He turned back to the bar and took another drink. Jet watched him, and then returned to his crowd searching. The door opened and three men walked in. Two of them were tall and skinny like Spike, and the other was big and beefy. Jet watched them as they sat at a table by the door. He elbowed Spike. "What?!" Spike practically yelled. Jet elbowed him again and nodded in the direction of the three men. "Oh." Spike said turning around completely in his stool. Just then one of the skinny men pulled out a gun and blasted a hole right in the big guys head. Everyone sat still for a couple seconds, the only sounds that of the ladies room door opening. Spike looked over at Faye who was standing in the lit doorway holding on to Ed's shirt, staring at the guy with the gun. Faye and Spike made eye contact, and in that split second everyone started to move.  
  
Faye threw Ed over the bar near her, and dove over it herself. Spike and Jet threw themselves over the bar and landed in a heap on the floor. Women were screaming and running for the door. Some of the men were running with them, and some were pulling out guns. Faye grabbed on to Ed's shirt collar and scrambled on all fours over to Jet and Spike. They all had their guns drawn in an instant. Faye cuffed the cord to the metal rod that was on the bottom of the bar and snapped it back on to Ed's wrist. Faye's hand stifled Ed's yell of 'Hey.' "Everyone say hi to Death." Spike said, as the three of them stood from behind the bar, guns pointed. And then the bullets began to fly.  
  
Okie-dokie. That's chapter five. Sorry to disappoint on the romance, but I'm getting there. Don't worry. I think you might even be able to look forward to it in the next chapter. That is if I get good reviews.  
  
Next Chapter: Cheating Death and Killing the Mood 


	6. Chapter 6: Cheating Death and Killing th...

The Disclaimers are the same..now on with the action.  
  
Chapter Six: Cheating Death and Killing the Mood  
  
Just as the three Beboppers stood up the bullets began to fly. Bullets zoomed past their head smashing into the bottles behind the bar. The bartender standing beside Spike got hit in the head and went slamming into the mirror. Spike watched him fall and then caught the eyes of his shipmates. The three took refuge behind the bar again, bullets still flying wildly above.  
  
"Death has friends." Jet yelled. "I don't think they're all his friends." Spike said as a bottle crashed above him. "I'm betting we weren't the only bounty hunters to come in here." "I didn't even get a shot off." Faye yelled ducking her head a little as a bottle shattered. She put a protective arm over Ed's head. Ed was very quiet, staring at the lifeless body of the bartender. Blood beginning to pool behind his head. Spike reached out and grabbed the bartender's gun. "Neither did he." He said slamming the clip of the bartender's gun back in place. He looked up to Faye who had a 'no shit' look on her face. He smirked. More bullets crashed above, and the windows to the bar began breaking. A table flew over the bar and smashed to pieces. "Shit, we've got to separate." Spike said, quickly looking to his left and then to his right. Jet was already beginning to inch towards the right end of the bar. Spike nodded at him and then began to scoot down to the other end. "Hey, where are you two going?" Faye yelled grabbing for both of them but coming up empty. "You know we could just wait here and let the others get killed first. Then take Death for ourselves." She was telling the bar as she checked her gun, slamming the clip into place again. "But NOOO!!! We have to do things the hard way." "The Haaaarrrrd Way." Ed said in a small voice beside her. Faye looked over at her, Ed was inching towards the dead bartender, her hand almost in the blood. Faye grabbed her wrist quickly. "Don't touch it Ed." Faye said looking at the blood on the floor. "Trust me, it's a bitch to get off." Ed nodded and tucked her feet to her chest.  
  
Spike and Jet had made it to the opposite sides of the bar. A man lay dead on the floor beside Spike, his eyes wide and staring at the ceiling. He didn't have a gun, an innocent by-stander? Spike looked back and caught Faye's eyes, her gun was ready pointing to the ceiling, she was going to hop from behind the bar. He nodded to her, and she rolled her eyes and nodded back, patting Ed on the shoulder. Spike looked past her to Jet.  
  
Jet was peaking his head from his side of the bar. He could see Death, standing in a beam of blue light coming from the hanging neon lights that had broken during the shoot out. The shooting had all but stopped. Everyone was crouched behind tables planning out their next moves. Death had a couple sidekicks. The skinny man who had come in with him was standing beside him, his gun drawn, a smile wide on his face. Two men stood on the side of the bar closest to Jet and two more stood on the side by Spike. Each man had a gun, each one trying to decide who to shoot first. Jet looked back and caught Spike and Faye looking at him. He signaled what he saw with his hands. The two nodded in return. Jet took a deep breath and sighted his gun at the closest person to him. Spike mirrored his movements on the other side of the bar. Faye took a deep breath, and looked at Ed. "Don't move that chain, got it." Faye said lifting the cord that attached Ed to the bar. "Rodger-dodger, Faye-Faye." Ed said saluting her. Faye pushed her head down as another shot rang out. A single shot. That was the signal for another all out brawl.  
  
Jet shot Death's lackey in the knee, blood pouring from the wound as he went down. His gun firing. Itchy trigger finger. He rolled out from behind the bar, shooting blindly the whole time. He made it to a table just as the wild gun fire began again.  
  
Spike threw himself on to the floor and shot the man closest to him in the chest twice. He picked the dead man beside him up and used him as a shield as he moved across to the next barrier.  
  
Faye shot up from behind the bar and shot the skinny man beside Death in the hand, and then turned and did the same to Death. The guns flew from their hands. A loud laugh came from Death as he ran to hide behind a broken table. Faye jumped over the bar and rolled behind another table. She found herself close to another man hiding behind a table, he had a large shot gun and a not so friendly face. "Hey, there. Nice gun." She said giving him her best smile. He did not return it. "Death's mine." He said pointing the gun at her. "Hey, can't we just work together." Faye said getting a little angry. The gun clicked and the table beside Faye blew into chunks. "Guess not." She said returning fire, and throwing herself to another hiding spot. She ended up with in shouting distance of Jet who had been firing at another bounty hunter.  
  
"I don't think we're just going to walk out of here with Death." Faye yelled over to him. She then sighted behind him and took out a blond haired bounty hunter. Jet smiled over at her and tipped an imaginary hat to her. She returned it with a salute of her gun.  
  
Spike threw the body of his dead man shield at the other of Death's lackeys. The man swatted it with his gun and the body went flying, Spike's foot then came up and knocked the gun from the man. The man countered with a kick to Spike's abdomen, and Spike caught him with an uppercut that sent the man flying across the room. The man landed in a heap right in front of Faye. She looked up and him and narrowed her eyes. He smirked and picked up the extra gun, throwing it in her direction. She caught it and spun on her to her knees taking out another of the lackeys. Spike smirked. Suddenly a bullet zoomed past his ear, a small cut appeared on his face. Another friend or foe? He ducked down as three more bullets rang in the air. Foe. He brought up his gun and took out the bald man fat man that had been shooting at him.  
  
Jet was getting closer to Death's position, he was five feet from the curtain he was hiding behind. He aimed his gun and shot three times. A bloody hand with a gun came from behind the curtain. Jet fired again. The man fell from behind the curtain. It wasn't Death. "Oh man." Jet said loud enough for Faye to hear. She looked over at him and he shrugged. He suddenly raised his gun and pointed it at Faye, her eyes widened. "Behind you!!"  
  
The skinny man that arrived with Death had a handful of her hair and had her on her feet. Jet was still aiming his gun at them, but couldn't get a good shot. Faye was struggling to get her gun hand free, but the man squeezed it and made her drop the gun. Faye started to tug at his hand as it encircled her throat. A shot rang out. The man spun, releasing his grip halfway through, sending Faye into a pile of broken tables. She laid there in a heap, broken wood surrounding her not moving form. The skinny man had his gun out and staggered as he tried to point it. Spike stood like a statue still pointing his gun at the skinny man. He pulled the trigger again and the man went down. Death lunged from a corner beside Jet, his arm came around Jet's throat and his gun was at ribs. Jet was struggling but for some reason Death was really strong.  
  
Spike's gun immediately aimed at Death, looking for a shot. He couldn't see anything but the arm encircling Jet's shoulders and throat. If he shot at the arm the chance was too great that the bullet would go through it and into Jet. Spike kept his gun up. Another man bounced up from behind a table beside Spike. A young bounty hunter with red hair and sunglasses, his gun was pointed at Death. A shot rang out, Spike's finger twitched but his eyes never moved from Death and Jet. The red haired bounty hunter fell in a bloody heap, as one of Death's other cohorts emerged from a shadow beside Spike. "Drop it." The man said as he neared Spike. "I don't think so." Spike made a move to lift the other gun in his hand, the man was close. Spike reconsidered. If he chose to shoot the other guy he would chance Death shooting Jet. Sure he could get them both, but at what cost? He dropped the gun in his left hand, keeping his gun pointed at Death. No temptations. "You are truly an opponent." Death said as pushed his gun further into Jet's ribs. Jet yelled out as one snapped inside him. Spike didn't waver. His gun never moved. "Drop the gun or I drop your friend." He snapped another rib.  
  
Spike let the gun spin and hang from his index finger. Death smiled, Spike did not return it. Another yelp from Jet sent a wave of anger through Spike. The bulky lackey that had appeared beside him took his gun away and turned him so he could frisk him. Death had taken all the other bounty hunters out. Spike had his arms behind his head and his head down. The bulky guy grabbed his cuffs from his back pocket and put one on his right wrist. Spike's attention was caught by Ed's head popping from behind the bar. He narrowed his eyes at her and she went back down quickly. He then looked over at the heap of wood in front of him. His arms were brought down and the other cuff snapped shut. He looked at the heap again and caught Faye's open eye, she smirked at him and closed her eyes as she slowly began to move her body. He didn't show anything on his face.  
  
Jet and Spike were now cuffed to two support columns on the side of the bar that Jet had come out on. Death was sitting on a barstool smoking and laughing. His bulky friend was kicking bodies, and he was getting awfully close to Faye. Jet and Spike shared a look. Jet returned his gaze to the side of the bar, where Ed was sticking her head out. He tried to motion for her to get back behind it, but it didn't work.  
  
"Hey check this out." The bulky guy said kicking at the heap of tables. "We've got a live one." Death turned his head away from Spike and Jet. Ed used the opportunity to get behind Jet and Spike, nicely hidden by the shadows. She began to fumble slowly with the handcuffs. Jet was looking at her over his shoulder, a cut on her cheek and forehead. He looked back to Death, now he was pissed. Spike remained still, staring ahead of him. His fists were clenched in anger. Faye.  
  
"What do you have there, Sid?" Death said sliding off of his barstool and making his way to the man. Sid smiled as he lifted Faye to her feet. "Hey, be careful. Didn't you guys ever learn how to treat a lady?" She slammed her heel down into Sid's foot. He yelped and started to lift his hand to back hand her. "Sid." Death didn't yell, but he put enough force into it to make anyone stop. "Bring her over here." Sid hesitated, but finally put his hand down and began to drag her to Death. Faye walked with a bit of a limp at first but it went away by the time they reached Death. She was completely out of weapons, she had wiggled slowly the whole time trying to find a gun, but couldn't. They had fallen from her as she flew at the tables. She snuck a look over Death's shoulder at Spike and Jet. Death followed her gaze, and smiled when it landed on Spike. "Do you know what they call me?" He said moving closer to Faye. Sid moved out of the way and sat at the bar, a smile playing on his lips. "Maurice." Faye said with putting a hand on her hip. Spike smirked as he watched. She always had to have an attitude. Death laughed. "Some." He said between large laughs. "Not many. More people call me.Death." He said flipping a large knife in front of her face. He put it to her cheek and lightly drew it across. She didn't even feel it cut the skin, it was that sharp. Spike and Jet watched as a paper thin line under Faye's eye began to swell over with blood. They looked at one another. "Hurry, Ed." Jet said in a breath of a whisper. Ed just nodded, knowing better than to give herself away. Her fingers began to work a little faster. Spike's eyes moved around the room, spotted a gun. He then looked back to Faye and Death.  
  
"What should I call you?" Faye said with a gulp. She was scared, and she hated showing it. He laughed again, loud. His head went back, the knife still flashing in front of her face. She was about to make a move to take it, her hand came up. In a second Death returned his attention to her, grabbed her up turned wrist and moved around her. It looked like they were dancing. He ended up behind her, his left arm twisting hers at a painful angle. His right arm was on her shoulder, the knife in his hand floating in her vision. Their bodies were close, she could feel his breath on her neck. She struggled against him. "Death." He said as he brought the knife across her collar bone. Again she hardly felt it at first, not until it began to bleed. She took in a sharp breath and a small moan. Spike's nails were digging into his flesh. Jet's one hand was free, they were almost there. Spike watched as Death put the blade to Faye's stomach, tip first. Blood was running down from the cut across her collar bone. He looked over at Jet, and then back at Ed. "Hurry." Spike said in a breath. Ed moved over and put something in Spike's hands. A lock pick. Spike turned his attention back to as he heard another sharp intake of breath. His hands moved with the small needle like tool. If Faye could do it, so could he. Jet was watching Sid at the bar. Sid's smile made him sick. He was enjoying the sight of Faye getting hurt. Sid signed his own death warrant.  
  
"Want to see her really squirm?" Death asked Sid. Sid nodded and laughed. Faye struggled a bit more, as Death let go of her already hurt shoulder. He placed his left arm around her shoulders and neck, his body still closer to hers. She put her hand up on his arm. Death looked over at Spike and smiled. "Do you?" Spike's gaze didn't waiver. He kept his mind on the task at hand. He could fee the tool clicking into place. Just a few more seconds. Death laughed again, and put the knife behind Faye's back. Spike mentally shook, he didn't like not seeing the knife.  
  
Faye screamed as she felt the tip of the blade slowly enter her flesh. Death then slid the knife across the skin. It was the same torture as before only this time he made sure she felt it. At that moment she saw Ed rush back behind the bar. Faye knew she had to make the first move. Death took the knife from her back and brought it up for everyone to see. Suddenly Faye slammed her heel into Death's foot, she felt it touch the floor. He screamed out, she bit him in the arm he had around her shoulders. He dropped his knife to the floor and brought his other hand to her throat, squeezing. Faye kicked at him and grabbed at him as he lifted her from the ground. "Any time you guys." She croaked out. Death turned his attention just in time to see Spike and Jet fly from their seats.  
  
Jet grabbed Sid by the collar of his suit, grabbed the gun from his holster and used him as a human shield. Death fired wildly at them and threw Faye over to heap of broken tables again. She landed with a hard thud. Spike had rolled over the gun he spotted and was now crouching behind a table. Sid was full of holes from Death's firing. Spike watched as Jet returned fire, hitting Death in the shoulder. Death didn't stagger. Suddenly Jet went down in a rush of sparks. Death had hit his robotic arm. Jet fell, Sid's body crushing him. Spike got up and fired at Death, hitting him twice in the shoulder. Death turned and fired at Spike. A bullet tore through Spike's stomach and gun hand. The gun went to the floor. Spike doubled over, his head came up at a sound.  
  
"BANG!!!! Bang, bang, bang." Ed's sing-song voice rang out. Spike's head shot up, but dizziness from the wounds got him and he staggered to his knees. Jet was desperately clawing at the body on top of him, his one arm completely useless. More of his ribs broke under the weight of Sid. Spike searched desperately for a gun. Ed stood her eyes wide as Death turned on her, she froze as he pointed the gun at her. A wide grin on his face. "Ed!!!!" Faye's voice yelled out as she ran for the girl. A shot rang out. Time stood still, action that took mere seconds, looked like hours. Spike's head snapped up. Jet's hands froze. The bullet had gone into the back of Faye's left shoulder. Her left arm draped around Ed, in a kind of a hug. She brought her right arm out in a swoop of motion. Gun pointed at Death, his eyes went wide. A shot rang out and Death bent over. She got him in the stomach. Suddenly red and blue lights invaded the dark bar. Faye scurried with Ed behind the bar and sat with her back up against it. Her breathing was labored. She looked down at her shoulder, no exit wound. "Here, help me out." Faye said removing her red sweater. The shooting had stopped, had she killed Death? Ed took the red sweater and wrapped up her wounded shoulder. "I thought I told you to stay put." Faye said as Ed wrapped up her shoulder. "No. Faye-Faye said not to move the chain." Ed said with a smile. "Ed did not move the chain." Ed pointed at the cord that was still attached to the bar. She sighed. Suddenly Faye saw Death make for the back door, still hunched over a little. He staggered out. Spike was hot on his heels, hunched over a little himself. She got to her feet with a little help from Ed. "This time I'm telling you. Stay put, help Jet." Faye started for the door. "Rodger-dodger," Another salute. Faye ran out the back door. Ed went over to Jet and helped Jet to remove the body from on top of him. She then gave him a big hug which caused him to yelp in pain. "Everyone come out with your hands up!!!!" A loud voice boomed in to the bar. Jet let out a large sigh and lay back on the floor. Ed mimicked him, which made him sigh, this time out of relief.  
  
The chase was on in the small dark alley behind the Blue Rhino. Death was in the lead, Spike a close second and Faye right on his heels. Spike was firing wildly at the retreating figure of Death. When he ran out of bullets he threw the gun at him, missing by about two feet. Faye was running, trying to bring her gun up and focus on a target. She was about five feet from Spike when she suddenly stopped. "Spike! Get down." She yelled. He looked back and saw she stopped, and was pointing her gun. "Shit." Spike said as he dropped to the ground. She fired. Taking out Death's right leg at the knee. He stumbled but kept going, she fired again, left knee. He fell, and continued to crawl, for about two feet. Suddenly he went limp. Faye walked up to Spike who was now on his knees getting to his feet. He whistled. She bent down and helped him up. "Why didn't you just shoot him in the first place?" Spike asked still looking at the body, making sure he didn't move. "I didn't have a gun." Faye said also looking at the body of Death. "I didn't get it until he dropped my arm to poke me with his knife." "You pick-pocketed him?" Spike asked now looking at Faye. She smirked. "You cheated Death." "Again." Faye said putting the gun in the front of her pants. Spike looked back at the body and then to her. And whistled again. "Fancy shooting. I'd hate to be on the other side of that gun." He put his hand to his wounded stomach. And noticed the blood dripping from her shoulder and neck. "I guess this means we're even, for the whole yanking of the cord thing." Faye said smirking at Spike. He brought his gaze up from her bloodied neck and met her eyes. Staring deeply into them. "Not yet." He said as he brought his hand up to the cut under her eyes. His fingers traced it lightly. Faye hardly even realized it. "Not yet!! Not yet." Faye began to yell. "I took out Death for you. Me. I got him. You didn't even hit him once back here." She huffed, and made eye contact with him. It was then she realized he was touching her. His fingers by her ear, his calloused thumb wiping away the blood on her cheek. "What exactly am I going to have to do to get rid of this debt." Faye asked, her voice not as sure as her mind was. She was staring into his eyes, deep red-brown pools. One slightly off-color. He stared in her green pools and smiled, a lazy wide grin with tons of possibilities. "One more thing." He said as his hand snaked its way on her face. His thumb moved down to her upper lip and over it. A small shudder ran through her. Their eyes had remained on each other, each stealing quick glances at the other's lips. But now, their eyes were locked. The pain from the wounds they had received was a dull throb in the background now. They were moving closer to one another, their eyes closing as the distance lessened. Spike's hands was around the back of her neck now, their mouth less than an inch apart. Eyes nothing but slits, almost closed. Faye could feel Spike's breath mingling with hers. Lips barely touching. It had seemed like such a close distance before, but now, it was miles apart. A slight brush of lips and.  
  
"Yo! Spike. Faye!!" You two alright." Jet's voice filled the alley at the other end. Spike and Faye flew away from each other, the pain of their wounds coming back as they moved apart. Spike turned away from Faye and looked down the alley at the body of Death, slowly being lifted onto a gurney. He caught Jet's waving arm in the light at the other end. He heard Faye move beside him, but didn't look at her. He didn't want to make eye contact with her again, every time it happened, he did something stupid. Faye was having the same thoughts as she put her right hand to her now throbbing shoulder. The two walked in silence each one lighting a cigarette on the way to their comrades. Ed stood beside Jet swinging off his good arm. She slowly stood still and watched as Faye and Spike approached. She looked up at Jet who was smoking a cigarette of his own, and holding on to her hand. "Way to kill the mood, Jet-person." Ed said putting a hand to her hip. She then saw the lights from the police cars and ran at them. "Huh?" Jet said as Faye and Spike got to him. "What?" Spike said. Jet looked at him, and then to Faye. He shrugged and they walked towards the flashing lights.  
  
Well, there you have it, a little bit of romance in a pretty action filled chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. And please review. Next Chapter: The Love Bug 


	7. Chapter 7: The Love Bug

Disclaimers: I still don't own them, but that will not stop me from ruling the world.oh forget it, I give up. Just read the story.  
  
Chapter seven: The Love Bug  
  
The Bebop was a quite place to live now a day. It had been four days since the Death episode, and now the crew was recuperating. They had received their bounty of 6 million Woolongs. After a great deal of debate, Spike Jet and Faye decided to split it with Ed, a four way split, even. But she had said no, and ran around yelling "Ed has millions already." They all shrugged and split it three ways.  
  
Jet had escaped with four broken ribs, some bruises and some gashes. His ribs were now set in an uncomfortable bunch of bandages around his waste. The smaller cuts and bruises had all but headled. His arm had been another story, he had spent almost a fourth of his money on a fix job. Strangely Spike, and Faye amazingly enough offered to give him some more of their money. They were a team, right? The arm had been fixed only two days ago, and now thanks to the repairs he could cook all day long. "Good for nothing, bounty hunters. All they do is sit on MY SHIP, and expect me to make them food. On MY SHIP!!!" Jet yelled from the kitchen. "You hear that MY SHIP!!!" He yelled out into the common room.  
  
Ed was sitting on the table in the common room, her elbows on the table and hands propping up her head. She was staring at the TV at a very close range. Ed had come away with minimal damage on the outside from her brush with Death. She had two small bandages on her face, one on the forehead one under her eye. A couple of bruises lined her forearms from crawling all over the floor. Her hands were bandaged and raw from picking the locks and crawling in glass. Her feet also had small bandages on them. Yep, Ed came away lucky. Her wounds wouldn't leave any scars. All her scars were on the inside. She hadn't really been the same since that day. She just sat around, staring out the window on the first day. She's gotten better since then, and has resumed regular Ed functions. "MY Ship, my Shipppppp!!! Ed hears Jet-person." Ed yelled back. "Now stop yelling so Ed can watch her show." Just then Ein came running in and barked at Ed. She looked down at the small dog and barked back. Getting carefully on to all fours on the table.  
  
"What the hell is all the barking about?" Faye yelled as she walked into the room. Faye had a little more wounds than the others, all coming together with the ones she had sustained from before. Her left arm was in a sling and held close to her body. The doctor had taken about twenty minutes to fish the bullet out of her shoulder. The whole time she had been screaming and yelling, asking for some thing to drink, or a cigarette. Her arm was feeling a little better and every once and a while she would slip her arm out and do some small exercises to keep it strong. The slit under her eye had healed completely. The one on her neck was still bandaged up. Another bandage encircled her small waste completely. Her back was still a very sore spot. "Oh," She said watching as Ed barked at Ein and Ein barked back. Soon the kid was off and running slowly on all fours all around the common room. "Be careful, Ed. Don't push on your hands so much." Ed just came up and barked at Faye's feet. Faye reached her good hand down and patted Ed on the head. In the four days, Faye had started treated Ed a little differently. She had seen the look on Ed's face the clearest that day. Faye knew Ed was coping with something. And strangely Faye wanted to help. She shook her head and walked over to the stairwell. She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of black sweatpants that hung low on her hip. She sat down on the stairwell and took out a smoke. "MY SHIP!!!" Faye heard Jet yell from the kitchen. Then she saw Ed run in after Ein. A loud yell and the many clattering of pots was the last thing she heard, before she turned her attention back to the window.  
  
Spike entered the common room silently. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and that a was all, except for the towel draped on his shoulders. The bullet had gone into his stomach and bounced around a little before finally jumping out of his back. Luckily it hadn't hit any vital organs. He like the rest of his bounty hunter friends had a bandage encircling his entire waste. His right hand was bandaged from the gun shot that had taken away his gun after he was shot. His wrists like Jet were raw from the handcuffs.  
  
He took slow steps down the stairs into the common room, as Ed ran past him barking. He patted the child on the head as she ran past, but his eyes were on Faye. She was staring out the window, not paying attention to anyone. This was the first time in four days he had actually been in the same room with her, well, for longer than a second. They had avoided one another completely. Not talking about what had happened, or almost happened in the alley. Spike didn't want her to leave this time, and he wasn't going anywhere. They were going to have to get over it eventually. Spike mentally groaned. They were going to have to have another one of their little talks.  
  
"Spike," Jet said as he came out of the kitchen a towel over his shoulder. "Where did Ed go?" Spike didn't look at Jet, he just pointed his thumb over his shoulder and out the door. His eyes were busy, locked with Faye's. She had looked over when Jet had yelled. Jet made his way huffing out the door. "Ed! Get back here and help me clean up this mess!!!" Jet yelled. "ED!!!" his voice began to disappear down the hall. Faye and Spike were still eye locked. Faye looked away first and made a move to get up. Spike moved forward and put up a hand. "Faye, you don't have to leave. We all live here. Stay." Spike stood right beside the couch looking up and over at her now standing form. "I won't bother you." "You being you, bothers me, cowboy." Faye said sitting down again. She smirked over at him. "Nothing can change that." Spike returned her smirk, and lit up a cigarette. He slowly and painfully stretched himself out on the couch. He laid with his head at the end that would allow him to look out the window like Faye.  
  
The two sat in silence for twenty minutes, watched every now and then by Edward and Jet. Neither made a move, neither said a word. Not one poke or joke. Jet shook his head, it was too weird for him. Ed, sat on the table and would sneak glances at the two, a silly grin on her face. Spike would sneak glances at Faye every now and then. His mind racked with indecision. He looked at her and his heart hurt. He turned his view back to the window. Julia, he thought of Julia. He felt like he was betraying her, like he was being a horrible person. It had taken him months to fully get over the fact that he was still alive. He had wanted to die. He wanted to be with his Julia. He wanted the dream to end. The sad reality was, it wasn't a dream. It was real, he was real, and she was really gone. He closed his eyes and inhaled from his cigarette. Over the months he realized he was alive, and he couldn't live in the past anymore. All he had was his future. Just as Faye had said. But he couldn't forget Julia. She was his first love, first real love. And now being here on the Bebop he was finally moving on. He was making new friends, he had made a new family with Ed, Jet, and even Faye. But for some reason Faye was different. He knew she hadn't changed since he left. She was still the same shrew woman she was when he left. Bad attitude, bad debt, big heart. He hadn't ever hated Faye. It took him a while to realize that, but he did. He never hated her. He had worried about her, and wanted to take care of her, and wanted to help her. And he wouldn't have been a man if he didn't notice how beautiful she was. But now that beauty was seeping into his mind and closing his eyes to all the things he had found annoying before. He started to reevaluate why he had found them annoying. And it was getting really annoying. All the qualities she had. Her loud mouth, her attitude that made everyone think twice about messing with her. This air of confidence that she walked around with. However false it was, it was there. And she knew how to use it. Her strong spirit, never giving up on a friend, never giving up period. Her willingness to put her life on the line for him, for anyone on the ship. They hadn't been evident before, but now they were. And he knew why he hadn't liked them. They were qualities that Julia didn't have, or at least ones she didn't show. Julia had been strong, virile, beautiful, all things that Faye was. But her qualities were not so over powering. Simple, beautiful, wonderful, that had been Julia. The only quality they shared was beauty, and even that was different. Faye was a woman that from the first day had brought out emotions in Spike. Emotions that he didn't think he had anymore. She allowed him to be angry and happy at the same time. He had pushed her away because of that. Because he wasn't alive then. But now..  
  
Faye got up from the stairwell and walked up to the bridge. She went over to the window and stood. Jet was setting the coordinates for Venus. "Where we going now?" Faye asked slowly removing her arm from the sling. The sling lay against her body, her arm still bent. "Venus, I got a lead on new bounty." Jet said looking over at her. "You gonna be up for it?" He leaned on the console as he watched her gingerly rotate her shoulder. She stopped and looked over at him. "Yeah, I'll be ready. How about you old man?" Faye smiled at him. "I'm fine. Just need to stretch out the muscles in the old gut." Jet said patting his stomach. "The bounty's not too hard. There's three in the gang. I figure we can each go for one," he said looking over at Faye. Her eyes widened. "One for each of us, huh?" She said. "You mean you guys trust me to get him on my own? No yelling about how I screw everything up?" "You earned it. Albeit the hard way, but you earned it." Jet said as he made his way down the stairs. "I'm going to work out a bit of the kinks. We should be at Venus in about two days. I'll get the info together later. Rest up." Faye gave a salute with her good hand to the retreating form of Jet. She smiled. She had won their respect. "And all it took was getting nearly dead, twice." Faye said to her reflection in the window. She floated down closer to the window, rotating her arm a little more. It hurt but it felt better to use it than not.  
  
She stared out the window and thought about the same thing she had been thinking about for the past four days. Spike. And the almost kiss that they had in the alley way. She felt bad about it, and she didn't know why. She didn't know what to think about it. Before, before he left to fight Vicious, she would have jumped at the chance to kiss him. He was handsome and kind, well he wasn't cruel. Ok, at times he was cruel, but that was just the way they acted around one another. From the first time she had seen him, she had been attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? And from that first day the two of them had bit into one another. Each one taking hits on the other, but there had always been something behind it. At least for Faye. It was her way of getting close to someone again, her way of doing it with out the chance of getting hurt again. But here she was getting hurt again. "How the hell did that happen?" She asked the reflection. "How did what happen?" Spike said from behind her. Faye jumped and turned around. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me." She yelled. "What's the big idea sneaking up on me." She moved towards him, but stopped. She didn't want a replay of the alley. "I live here too you know. I just came up to see where we were going." Spike said leaning over the console, a smirk on his lips. "Its not my fault you talk to yourself. And jump at the drop of a hat." "I do not jump at the drop of a hat. I just wasn't expecting you to come up here." Faye said looking at him putting her good hand on her hip. The other bent at her stomach. "Do I scare you Faye," Spike said moving a little closer to her. She put up her hand and looked him directly in the eye. He stopped, staring in her eyes. "Lately you have been." Faye said. She slowly walked around him and down the stairs. Spike watched as she walked out of the common room and disappeared into the hall. The clanking of her heels replaced by the padding of bare feet. Ed looked up at Spike from her Tomato, "What did Spike-person do?" Ed yelled. "I don't know, Ed," Spike said coming down the stairs. "I think I need a little help with this one." The only problem was he needed help from Faye. He walked out of the common room and went on a hunt for Faye. Ed watched him leave, she turned to Ein and then started typing on Tomato.  
  
"Ed will help," she said to Ein. Ein covered his eyes with his paws and moaned.  
  
Spike finally found Faye in the hangar, she was sitting on the couch that they had bought to go in there. The couch hardly had a back to it and was very wide, Ed could almost lay down fully in the width of the couch. It was a present for all of them, but mainly for Jet, since he spent the most time in there. She was sitting with one leg up, her bandaged arm resting on top of the knee. Her head on her hands, on top of that raised knee. He took a couple of steps closer to her, stubbed his cigarette on the wall and closed the door. "Faye," Spike said standing still pretty far from the couch. She tilted her head a bit in his direction, looking at him through her purple hair. She rolled her eyes and turned her head back to its original position. It was her own fault. She had been thinking about him again. She knew he had this nasty habit of showing up when you thought about him too much. She shouldn't think about him. But it was hard. Especially now. She knew it was wrong. It wasn't fair to him to make him want to kiss her. He was still hurting from the loss of Julia, she knew it. He told her. But she didn't know how to make him stop. She wasn't doing anything differently than she had before. She didn't know why he was acting this way now. "I didn't want to scare you again." Spike said stepping beside the couch. She looked up at him and saw the smirk on his face. He was trying to make light of the situation. He was trying to put things back to normal. "Sorry, cowboy," Faye said. "You're just too freakish for me not to be scared. I mean look at you." She waved her good hand at him. "Freakin' Frankenstein." She said. "Look who's talking," Spike said getting annoyed. "And I think you mean Mummy." "What?" "Mummy, that was the one in all the bandages. Not Frankenstein. I mean really Faye, if you're going to insult me at least get it right." "Go to hell." She said flipping him off. "How's the arm," Spike said sitting on the arm of the couch near to Faye. "Why don't you sit on the couch," she said her annoyed voice in full force. It was good to have the old ways back. "I'm fine where I am," Spike said leaning over a bit. "Too close for you?" "God," Faye said sighing and getting off the couch. She walked a bit and looked out the hangar bay. The window was really close to her, she stared at her reflection as she massaged her shoulder. "How is it?" Spike said moving closer behind her. "Fine, it's stopped bleeding. Now its just sore and bruised." She said wincing a little as she moved her fingers on her skin. "Here, let me." Spike said putting his hands on her shoulder, the bandage on his hand sent a shiver up her spine. Faye jumped away a little, but Spike held her in place. "Faye, I can help. Let me." She looked at his reflection behind her and nodded to it, a deep sigh leaving her mouth. Spike put his left hand on her shoulder and his right closer to her neck. He began to slowly kneed the tight muscles and bruised flesh. Faye lulled her head to the side giving him more of her neck to massage. Spike smiled a little. His right hand moving over a bit and massaging the back of her neck at the hair line. Faye moaned a little, but stopped as soon as she did it. "Relax," Spike said in her ear. "How can I. You wouldn't be relaxed if I was doing that to you." Faye said in a mumble of words. "Well, maybe we can find out," Spike said a smile forming on his lips as he massaged her neck and aching shoulder more. Faye opened an eye and looked at his eyes in the reflection on the glass. He was serious, and smiling. She couldn't keep the surprise or the smile from her face.  
  
Suddenly the lights went out in the hangar bay. Spike stopped massaging Faye's neck his hands still on her. Faye sighed and looked around. "The Love Bug has invaded the Bebop's systems," Ed's voice boomed from the comm. units. "All doors are locked and lights gone, only emergency lights can be used." The emergency lights flickered on sending a dull illumination into the hangar bay. "Ed will try and fix." And then communication was cut. "That kid," Faye said turning around. Spike's hands slid across the bandage on her collar bone and ended up on either of her shoulders. "Jet's going to kill her." "Not if he's locked in his room," Spike said with a smile. Faye smiled at him, she couldn't help it. They locked eyes again. "So I guess that means we're locked in here," Faye said getting a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Yep, I guess so." Spike said kneading his fingers on her sore shoulder. Faye put her hand up and set in on his bare chest, and he stopped. That had been the plan, to get him to stop. Her fingers were cool, but sent a hot shiver through his body. He looked down at her hand, his one hand falling from her shoulder. The other remained, not kneading anymore. He looked back up into her eyes, and saw something he didn't expect. Fear. "Faye. What is it." She shook her head and smiled, and looked back up to him. "Nothing. It's silly," She said her hand getting warmer on his chest. It was right over his heart, she looked down at it. "Does your heart always beat that fast?" Faye said looking at her hand on his chest. "Is it getting hot in here?" Spike asked swallowing. Faye looked up and met his eyes. "Is it?" She said, a smile playing on her lips. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing this." She made a move to take her hand away, but Spike caught her. Holding it in both of his. He brought her hand back, his hands keeping it there. "Why?" Spike said, moving his head down a little. Leaning so he was so close to her mouth that a sharp intake of breath would bring him into her. "Why shouldn't you?" "Because." Faye began her eyes darting about. She wanted to say because its wrong, but she couldn't find the words. "Why shouldn't I?" Spike said closing the distance in a rush of lips. Faye's eyes went wide for a second but soon closed. It was soft at first, his lips just barely brushing connecting with hers. Their lips both warm and wet, moving along one another's. Faye felt her body sag a little against his. Spike put his arms around to her waste bringing her closer to him, deepening the kiss in the same motion. The feel of his tongue on hers sent a shiver of desire through Faye's body. Her hands were pinned on his chest, burning a hole into him. Spike slightly lifted Faye from the ground her legs wrapping low on his body, around his thighs. Spike took a few unsteady steps backwards. The kiss was becoming more passionate, a small moan escaped Faye's lips as they parted for a breath. They continued the kiss, their eyes shut their mouths exploring. Spike's hands were moving up and down her back as he staggered carrying her with him. Her hands were moving along his chest, smoothing his muscles as they worked with her weight. Spike's hands made it down to her thighs and pushed her higher up. She let out a squeak, and he smiled on her mouth. Her legs had wrapped around his waist, Spike's body was overheating. His knees hit off of the couch and he went down taking Faye with him. "Ow!!!" Spike said as his wounded stomach began to protest Faye's weight being slammed on him. Faye's head shot up from his, and she moved her hands down to his bandage. "I'm sorry," She began, pulling away a bit. Spike smiled and put his hand behind her head. "Don't worry about it. Its an easy fix." He said bringing her mouth to his again. He rolled them over slowly, placing himself over Faye. She moaned against his lips again. Her arms reaching out and hugging him around the shoulders. Her hands kneaded his flesh, massaging his muscles. Spike was kissing her jawbone, and moved down to her neck. Faye moved her head to the side allowing him better access. His hands were moving up and down her body. They moved over her breasts and Faye moaned again. Spike smiled against her neck and went back to her mouth. He twisted a little on top of her, and Faye moved to try and compensate. It jostled her hurt shoulder. "Ow!!!" Faye said. Spike's head snapped up and looked at her, pain on her face. "Did I hurt you?" Spike asked looking at her body beneath his. She moved her mouth to his not wanting to stop. He kissed her back his hands moving around to her back. Faye's hands moved down to his side, and she began kneading. "Ow," They said at the same time, taking in a breath against each others lips. They opened their eyes and looked at each other. They laughed. Spike dropped his head into the bend of Faye's neck. They laughed against one another, for a second. Spike finally moved off of Faye and laid on his elbow beside her. He watched her smile fade and her eyes open to look at him. He put his hand to her cheek. "We should stop, before we hurt ourselves any more." Faye said with a bit of a giggle. "Yeah," Spike said getting up off the couch. Faye sat up and followed him with her eyes. "You were right. It is hard to relax with you massaging me." Spike said as he pulled out a cigarette. "Told you." Faye said getting off the couch, she stole Spike's cigarette and took a puff. Spike turned and faced her again. He reached out, and Faye thought he was going for the cigarette, she smiled and moved it away. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, bringing her body close to his. He kissed her again, slowly. The kiss went down to her toes, heat all through her body. He broke the kiss. "Guess that makes us even," Faye said with her eyes still closed. "Your just beginning to pay me back. I've done a lot of things for you, Faye." Spike said a sly grin coming to his mouth. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "And I've saved your life a couple of times, Spike." She said. "You owe me." "Alright," Spike said moving in for another kiss. Faye put her hand to his chest, as the lights came on and the door opened. "Some other time, cowboy." She said as she made for the door. Suddenly she stopped, and turned to face him. "What the hell is going on Spike?" her face showing all the anxiety and fear it had before. Spike had never seen her face like that before. "I don't know," Spike said closing his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I really don't know." "Glad I'm not the only one," Faye said. "We should really figure it out soon. Otherwise, you might do something you'll regret." "Yeah," Spike said not looking up at her. He opened his eyes. "Wait a minute. What do you mean I'll do something I regret. What about you? You weren't really complaining back there." "I never make a move I don't regret later on." Faye said with a smile. "Don't take it personal." She waved at him with the cigarette and walked out the door. The whole time she walked down the hall she was mentally slapping herself. 'What the hell was that. Why did you say that. Stupid woman. Stupid, stupid woman.' Spike watched her leave, a more than a little confused. He looked up at the ceiling. "Love bug, indeed, he said to the fluttering lights above his head. He put his hand to pants pocket looking for his pack of cigarettes. He pulled it out, empty. He looked to the still open door, and made a run for it. "Hey, Faye. Give me back my Cigarette!!!" He yelled as he ran down the hall. 'Damn that woman.'  
  
Ok, that really had no point, and didn't really further the plot. But I wanted to try and write some of the romance in the fic. I know its confusing, at least I think its confusing. Oh great, I've just managed to confuse myself. Well, anyhoo, if it seems confusing, lets think about the players in this fic. Would a romance between Spike and Faye be anything but confusing? I don't know what the next chapter will be called, but expect it soon. I'm on a roll. Please read and review, and ENJOY!!! 


	8. Chapter 8: Pleasure and Pain

Disclaimers: Same as before.sadly.  
  
Chapter Eight: Pleasure and Pain  
  
Jet  
  
Jet ran down the alleyway, his breath coming hard from his lungs. His body and legs were moving on pure adrenaline now. His gun was bobbing in his hands as he ran. In front of him was Jimmy Nash, his bounty. He, Spike and Faye had split the Three Strikes Gang three ways. And Jet was supposed to bring in Jimmy. He had been running after this guy for nearly a half an hour. His clothes smelled of the garbage he had trekked through fifteen minutes earlier. "Stop!" Jet yelled as he brought his gun up. He took aim but considering he was running full on, his shot went wide and hit a trash can.  
  
Jimmy Nash turned back and fired a couple of wild shots back into the alley. Jet bent his head low, but kept on going. Jimmy being turned around didn't see the large truck that had pulled out and blocked his path. Jet's face hurt for the kid when he hit nose first off the truck. Nash went down in a heap on the ground holding his hand to his nose. Many a fearful curse words rambled from his mouth. Jet slowed his pace and walked up to the guy. "Didn't you hear me yell stop." Jet said catching his breath. His gun drawn, feet spread wide. Nash groaned and looked up at Jet through his spread fingers, blood gushing from his broken nose. Suddenly Nash brought up a foot and kicked Jet in a quite tender area. Jet crumpled over on himself, singing out in a loud grunt. Nash scrambled to his feet and ran to the ladder that led up the roof of the building beside them. "Oh you're dead now, kid." Jet said running after him, a slight limp hindering him slightly. That was going to leave a bruise. Jet scrambled up the ladder, his gun hitting off the metal. Just as Nash reached the top and was about to step out on to the roof, Jet's hand shot out and grabbed him around the ankle. Nash went face first into the roof, and stayed that way. Jet came up and cuffed the kid while he was laying there. "That's what you get." Jet said sitting down on the edge of the roof. "What kind of man hits another man like that?" Jet said kicking the kid in the side to turn him over.  
  
Nash's baby blue eye's were glazed over with pain. His short blond hair had streaks of blood going through it from his nose. He smiled up at Jet a tooth falling out of his mouth. Nash groaned and closed his eyes. "I'm not a bad guy, I can't handle prison." Nash said, tears glimmering on his eyes. "Jesus, kid," Jet said putting his metallic hand to his bald sweating head. "You should have thought about that before you started robbing people." "I know, I know. But we never really hurt people." Nash said opening his eyes and looking at Jet.  
  
Ten minutes later.  
  
"You see the problem is they just don't listen. They eat all my food, get me into tons of trouble and don't listen." Jet said taking a hit from his cigarette. " I just don't know what to do with them." He held the cigarette down and held it up to Nash's mouth. "I understand completely." Nash said taking a hit, and letting it out. He shifted his back against the wall a little, his hands cuffed behind his back scraping slightly. "It's the same way with Dino and Ricky. They have all these hair-brained schemes and I have to go along with them." Nash looked up at Jet's face above his. Jet was still sitting on the edge of the roof. "But I think you win, buddy. At least mine are both guys. Add a chick in there and everything goes to hell." "Yeah. You can say that again." Jet said taking a deep hit on his cigarette. "When it was just me and Spike everything was cool. No weird silences on the ship. Either we talked or we didn't, there wasn't that extra something in the air." Nash nodded as Jet continued. "I liked it when it was just the two of us. As soon as those women showed up everything went to hell." Nash nodded. "Sounds like this Faye chick is a pain in the ass." Nash said with a smile.  
  
"Definitely." Jet said leaning back a little on the ladder handles. "But Spike's no spring morning. He can be about as much a pain as that woman. If not more, especially when he gets on these death kicks he has." "So you think your life would be better without them?" Nash asked turning a little to look at Jet. "Sometimes. Sometimes I think I could have a semi-normal life again. Maybe put down anchor somewhere and become a fisherman or something." "I don't see you as a fisherman, Mr. Black." Nash said with a smile. "Wouldn't you miss them, even a little?" Jet looked up at the sky, small white flowers began to fall. He finally nodded. "Yeah. I would." Jet said placing his cigarette in his mouth again and crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, then I guess some pains are worth experiencing." Nash said. Jet reached down and grabbed Nash by the cuffs and hauled him to his feet. "Yeah. I hope the pain doesn't end up killing me." Jet chucked his cigarette over the building and pushed the Hammerhead's remote. "Hey, aren't you going to let me go? I thought we were buddies now?" Nash said a little excited. Jet just laughed. "After the chase you gave me, hell no. You're going to jail. Your pain's in the ass will be joining you shortly. Then you can decide if THEY were a pain worth having." Jet pulled Nash to the other end of the roof where the Hammerhead was waiting.  
  
Faye  
  
Faye had been walking around the city for the last hour searching for a place to eat. Her philosophy right this minute, let the money come to you. She strode in a small family owned restaurant called Simon's. Her legs clad in well worn and slightly dulled jeans, a black tight fitting t-shirt that showed just a bit of her belly, bandage newly removed. Her shoulder was missing the sling, and was almost completely back to normal. Except for the small pains she got every now and then. She really needed a massage. Faye shook her head, the last thing she needed was a massage. A gray men's dress shirt was tied around her waist hiding her gun. Her job was to find Ricky Fleck. The only thing she had to go on was the fact that his family owned a restaurant in town. So she had spent the entire hour visiting restaurant after restaurant. She hadn't eaten anything all day, which was just sad considering she was in a restaurant most of the day. She went over to an empty table and sat down. A young woman came over and smiled. Faye gave her order and sat, her hands on her cheeks. Elbows keeping her head from smacking against the table.  
  
Faye looked to her right where a couple were arguing. Her eyes narrowed and then widened. There sitting, fighting with a pretty little blond girl was Ricky Fleck. She sat there stunned for a moment. "You son of a bitch!!" the girl yelled as she stood up. "I can't believe you. What do you think I'll just wait around forever." Fleck stood up his hands out pleading for the young woman to stop. Lucky for them the crowd wasn't all that big, just a handful of people here and there. "Baby, please," Fleck said rounding the table and approaching the woman. "Don't baby me you prick!" Wham!!! She slugged him, sent him careening into the table behind him, knocking it down with him. The woman fixed her skirt and turned around her nose in the air, head held high. Faye smiled and walked over to the body of Fleck. She bent down, and smiled even wider. She had knocked him out with one punch. Faye looked back to the door caught the woman's retreating form and gave her a small salute with her gun. She bent down and put the cuffs on Fleck, just as she snapped the other bracelet on his wrist his eyes came open wide. "What the hell?" Fleck said. Faye smiled and put her gun against the side of his cheek. "Surprise Ricky," She said. He gave a loud groan and slammed his head back against the overturned table behind him.  
  
Twenty minutes later  
  
"We haven't said more than two words to each other since," Faye said from her perch on the wooden chair. A cigarette hung from her lips as she looked down. "Sucks to be you," Fleck said in a mocking tone. "How does that help me," Faye yelled as she leaned further down so her face was closer to his. "Who the hell said I wanted to help you?" Fleck yelled back. "I helped you with you problem with the girl," Faye said pulling back a little. "The least you could do is listen. I mean listening was your problem in the first place." Fleck sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you want me to say. I'm not a glowing endorsement for relationship council as you saw," Fleck pointed with cuffed hands towards the door. But if you want to know what I think. I think this Spike guy sounds like an idiot. You on a couch, you alone anywhere and he doesn't try anything for almost two years. Damn fool." "I don't think he's ever forgiven me." Faye said in a small voice. "He says it doesn't matter, says its no big deal. But I don't think he believes it." "What did you do, boink some other guy?" Fleck said shifting a little against the overturned table. "I saved his life." Faye said taking a drag off her cigarette. "And he's mad about that? What is this guy loony or something." Fleck asked, leaning forward a bit. "He wanted to die. To be with her." Faye said looking over at Fleck. "He's not loony, he was in love. Still is. He wanted to be with her, and I took that away. I saved him, and I don't think he's ever forgiven me." "He kissed you didn't he? That doesn't sound like the actions of a man who hates you." Fleck said with a smile. "Shit, sounds like he likes you. And you love him right?" "I don't," Faye stopped looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know." She shook her head. "I don't want to cause him pain. Not anymore." "Damn you have one messed up life, sweetheart." Fleck said. "You don't want to cause him pain. And then you think about going away after something else has started between the two of you. Did you ever think that you could take away the pain?" "No, I didn't. We always torture one another," Faye said. Fleck raised eyebrows and smiled. "Not like that you little pervert! We're always joking and poking fun at each other. We don't really take each other seriously. We always pick fights with one another. Cause each other pain." "Pleasure, sweetheart," Fleck said sitting forward so his face was closer to Faye's legs. "You give him pleasure. He's happy when he's fighting with you. He's happy to be with you." Faye looked at the guy. "So you think the pain we cause each other with the fights is our way of what, having sex?" Faye said raising an eyebrow. "I think he does it to keep himself from having sex with you," Fleck said moving closer to her face. "He wants you." Faye sat back in the chair. "You're just saying that to make me feel better." Faye said standing up putting her cigarette out on the chair beside her. "Maybe. You gonna let me go." Fleck said with a big grin. "No." Faye said grabbing the cuffs and hauling him to his feet. "Worth a shot." Fleck said standing beside Faye now. "Hey, honey, if he rejects you, I can take away your pain." Fleck lifted his eyebrows a couple of times at her and smiled wide. Faye rolled her eyes and slugged him. He went crashing into the table again, and was knocked out She lifted him up and dragged him out of the building.  
  
Spike  
  
Spike entered the mall with one goal, catch Dino Stark. He was a short, round man with glasses, he should be easy to get. Spike's eyes roamed the mall, over women walking with children, and men with all the bags. He finally decided to look in the stores. He walked past some ten windows until he finally stopped in front of a woman's clothing store. Le Stuff. He rolled his eyes and looked at the little light blue dress in the window display. He thought about Faye in the dress, and then he mentally kicked himself. Three days ago he and Faye had got hot and bothered in the hangar bay, and now here he was thinking about how good she would look in a dress. He closed his eyes and turned. Just as he did, his eyes watched Dino Stark walk into Le Stuff. Spike's eyes went wide for a second, then he shrugged to no one and walked in.  
  
He searched around the entire store, slowly. He watched some women run around pulling clothes off the rack. After about five minutes he got frustrated, he was the only guy in the place, and all the women were looking at him funny. He blew a tuft of his hair off his forehead as he searched around a little more. This guy shouldn't be that hard to find, just look for the only other man in the store. Spike watched as woman ran in and out of the fitting rooms, and suddenly he had an epiphany. He walked over to the fitting rooms and walked right in. Women screamed and ran out, but Spike paid them no mind. He looked under the stalls and found a pair of men's brown shoes. He smiled as he kicked open the door his gun drawn. "AHHHH!!!!" Dino Stark screamed like a woman. Spike's eyes widened in shock. The man was standing there in nothing but a pair of jeans and a woman's bra. A pink dress had made it halfway up his arms. The man's glasses fogged, and he looked at Spike's gun. A shaky rounded hand came up to point. "Is that a gun." And then he let out a yelp again, and went down to ground rocking on his side in a fetal position. Spike rolled his eyes and reached down to cuff him.  
  
Twenty minutes later  
  
"I haven't talked to her since," Spike said taking a hit from his cigarette. "Well, not seriously. Or one on one." "And I thought I was messed up." Stark said his cuffed hands sitting between his knees. Both men were huddled on the floor of the fitting room in Le Stuff. Spike was sitting in the exact same position just minus the cuffs, a cigarette hung from his fingers. "Dude, you're a wreck." "Its that damn woman's fault." Spike said "I would be fine if she wasn't around." "I hear you, woman aren't anything but trouble." Stark said. "I mean look at this," he said looking down at the bra he wore. "Even their clothes are trouble." Spike looked over at Stark with out turning his head. He raised a brow at the small round man sitting beside him in a bra and a pink zip up sweater. Spike had to give him something to cover up with. He just couldn't take it. "She's nothing but a pain." Spike said forgetting about the clothes statement made by Stark. "I'll bet. So how was she. I'll bet she's hot, right?" Stark said his voice getting excited. "Aren't you supposed to be helping?" Spike said narrowing his eyes and turning towards Stark. "Sorry." Stark put his head down and looked at his hands. "She's hot though, right?" Spike let out a disgruntled breath of nicotine. "Yeah, she's hot. That's the problem." Spike went back to staring at the mirror across from him. "Nothing has changed since I first met her. At least nothing I can see. She's still the same old Faye, loud, annoying, and goddamn beautiful." "I really don't see what the problem is here. You obviously like her and she definitely has a thing for you. Otherwise why would she almost.you know." Stark started making gestures with his cuffed hands. Spike rolled his eyes and thought about shooting him. "Sure there's an attraction. No one is denying that. I don't think we are," Spike said looking down at his cigarette burn away. "Then again, you really haven't talked to her." Spike looked over at the kid. "Yeah, right." Spike took a drag off his cigarette. "The problem is every time I look at her my heart hurts. Feels like damn heart burn." Stark started nodding and smiling. "That's not heartburn, that's love my bounty hunter friend." "I don't love her." Spike said flatly. "Oh really, then why do you think you are having such a problem with all this." Spike looked over at Stark and said nothing. He then turned his head back to the front a frown on his lips. "You have feelings for this, Faye." Stark looked at Spike. "There's a fine line, my friend. Pleasure and Pain. Pain from pleasure. You might not be wiling to admit you love her, but you have to admit, there's something there. Or else the pain is going to overtake the pleasure." Spike looked at the man in the pink zip up sweater and black bra and was amazed. Spike grabbed the cuffs and brought Stark to his feet. Stark didn't say anything, he just followed, in tow. Spike brought him out of the fitting rooms and saw the same dress he had been looking at in the window. "You think she would like it?" Spike asked. "I don't really know her, I just know its not my style." Stark said eyeing up the dress. "Good enough," Spike said grabbing the sundress from the rack.  
  
Jet, Spike and Faye stood outside of the police building. Spike and Faye stood a couple feet away from Jet who still smelled like garbage. Jet had done a lot of mumbling when Spike and Faye told him of their amazingly simple grabs. Jet stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes downcast. Faye and Spike exchanged glances and grinned at their garbage smelling friend. "So did you have fun?" Spike asked Faye. "We know Jet did." He pointed at Jet beside him. Faye smiled. "Tons." She smiled over at Jet. "Not as much as him." "Enough. Is this going to be the big joke from now on?" Jet asked huffing as he looked from Spike's grinning face to Faye's. They shrugged. "Until Faye screws up again," Spike said lighting a cigarette. Jet laughed and Faye huffed. "Go to hell Spike," Faye said leaning in and stealing his cigarette from his lips. Jet laughed again and Spike merely frowned at his lost cigarette. He lit another one. "What took you guys so long if you had such easy catches?" Jet asked grabbing a cigarette from his pack. Spike held the lighter for him. "I don't know," Spike said leaning as he started down the steps. "I felt chatty." "You felt chatty," Jet said as he and Faye started down the stairs as well. "You. Mr. Mystery, felt chatty." Spike shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. Faye put her hands behind her head as she walked. Jet shrugged and laughed. "Strangely me too." Faye said looking up at the sky, little white flowers were falling on Venus. Spike looked over at her. "Yeah, maybe it was those guys. Maybe they have some power that makes you want to talk to them?" Jet said looking down at the steps as he walked. "Or maybe we just needed to talk to an objective third party." Spike said his cigarette bouncing on his lips. "I like the idea of them having strange powers better, sounds cooler." Faye said with a grin. "Ed would like that story." Jet laughed. "You just don't want to admit that you needed to talk to someone." Jet said poking her in the ribs. Faye looked over at Spike and caught his smiling eyes. She smiled and shrugged.  
  
Just then the doors to the police station opened wide and the stopped in their tracks and looked back. "You don't have to be so rough," came Jimmy Nash's voice. The police were escorting the three members of the Three Strikes Gang down the stairs. "Oh, great," Spike said. His eyes caught a look at Dino Stark still dressed in a black lacy bra and a pink zip up sweater. Faye laughed and looked over at Spike. "That's who you chose to talk to?" She said between laughs, Jet was smirking beside her. "Shut up, Faye." Spike said flipping her off. The three men were just about to pass the bounty hunters that brought them in. "Hey, Mr. Black, is this them?" Nash said his eyes wide and innocent. Jet gave a slight nod at him. "Wow, not what I expected at all." His eyes roamed from Spike to Faye and lingered. "Nothing like what I expected." "Damn, you weren't kidding." Stark said as he passed, he bent in close to Spike as he passed and whispered, "Go for it." Spike came up and looked over at Faye who was looking at him with a confused face. Jet's expression matched hers. Spike shrugged and shoved his hands back in his pockets. "That bitch hit me," Fleck yelled as he passed. "I help her with her problems and she hits me." He was yelling, but he caught a look at Spike and Jet and stopped. "She's crazy. All of them are crazy. She told me about you," He said as he passed Spike. "You are a crazy son of a bitch. And you," He said turning his head towards Jet. "You I don't know, but you're crazy just for being with them." The police man hauled Fleck down the stairs. "You chose that to talk to," Jet said with a bit of a smirk. Faye shrugged and put her hands behind her head as she started down the stairs again. "What exactly did you tell him about me, Faye?" Spike asked turning towards her retreating form. She kept walking not paying attention to him. "Faye. Faye!" He started down the stairs. "Why did he call me crazy?" Spike was taking two steps at a time to catch up to her. Jet began walking down after them a smile on his face.  
  
When they reached the Bebop they each went their separate ways. Jet went to go water his bonsais. Spike went to the common room and put his feet up, relaxing away the day. Faye went to take a shower. Faye made her way back to her room, her robe closed warm against her skin a towel around her wet hair. She pushed her door open and turned on the lights, a small gasp escaped her lips. A brown shopping bag was on her dresser, no note no nothing. She searched around the room, and around the bag for some kind of bomb. Maybe a joke from Ed. It had happened before. She finally gave up and was about to peek her head into the bag. She pushed past the tissue paper, and a smile hit her lips. She reached in and pulled out the sky blue sundress. The fabric was so soft, cotton and airy light. "Didn't know if you would like it?" Spike said from behind her. Faye gasped clutching the dress to her and turned to face him. He was leaning against her door frame his arms crossed over his chest, a small smile playing on his lips. "You?" Faye said her eyes narrowing in confusion. He nodded and took a step in the room. She pulled the dress away from her and looked at it. "Why?" Spike stopped a foot away from her. She looked up and met his eyes, and saw confusion in them. He shrugged. "I don't know," He said putting a hand through his unruly hair. "Saw it and thought of you. God that sounds corny." He let out an amused breath. "Yeah, it does." Faye said with a smile at him. She looked down at the dress. "Did your friend tell you what to buy me?" She smirked up at him. "He said he would never wear it, that made up my mind. I really didn't want to think of him in the dress too." Spike smiled. "What did you say to make that guy think I was crazy?" "I told him all about you," Faye said. "Its not my fault he saw you for what you really are." Faye smirked, she moved her fingers along the dress and looked down at it. "I didn't expect to run into philosophical bounties. He was actually helpful." Faye said still smiling at the dress. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Spike said putting a hand to the back of his head. He watched as Faye ran her fingers over the fabric of the cloth. He took a few steps towards her, she looked up and watched him her fingers still clutching the fabric. She thought he was going to take it back, and it showed on her face. "Its yours I bought it for you." He said with a smile. "Then why are you moving towards me with that look on your face. Like I stole something." She started moving backwards. "I didn't take any of your cigarettes I bought my own." Spike laughed and kept moving, he reached out and caught her by the elbow. He didn't bring her to him, he just held her in place.  
  
"Someone told me that there is a fine line between pleasure and pain." Spike began a small smile on his lips again. "Sure that someone was a cross dressing fat man who liked to rob people. But still." Spike shrugged. "I believe him. It makes a lot of sense for us, Faye." Faye looked at him, her face still showing confusion. "What are you talking about?" She said trying to search his face for the answers. "It's a line I want to cross. A line I'm ready to cross." Spike said moving himself a little closer to her. Faye tried to step back but his hand held her firm. He moved in and brushed his lips softly over hers. She let out a breath and he kissed her. A small, soft kiss, one that would linger. He pulled away smiling at her, she looked up at him. "I don't feel the pain anymore." He moved in again. Faye took her one hand from the dress and put it to Spike's chest to stop him. He looked at her, confusion in his smirking eyes. "Don't you?" she said. "I think you do. You will always love her." Spike dropped his hand from her elbow and looked at her. "Its been six months, almost seven." Spike said. "I'm moving on Faye." He looked at her. "I will always love her, but I want to try and get over her." "Are you sure?" Faye said moving back a step. Spike let out a deep sigh, and looked at her, and didn't answer. He looked back to the ground, put a hand in his hair and let out another breath. Again meeting her eyes. "You aren't going to make this easy, are you?" He said with a bit of a smirk. "If there is anything I'm not, its easy Spike Spiegel." She smirked at him. And he smiled back at her. "Aint it the truth." He said as he turned to leave. He stopped in the door way and looked back at her, she was smiling at him. "I hope the dress fits." He said as he smiled and walked out the door. Faye looked down at the dress and smiled.  
  
Well, there it is. A chapter with nothing in it. But I'm proud of myself with connecting the title again. Everyone see the fine line thing. Remember it from the earlier chapter? Ok, Next Chapter: Devil in a Blue Dress Don't miss it. Spike is trying to woo Faye. 


	9. Chapter 9: Devil in a Blue Dress

Chapter 9: Devil in a Blue Dress  
  
Spike walked through the streets of what a long time ago had been Los Angeles. His blue suit jacket was thrown casually over one shoulder, his other hand in his pocket. He looked from one restaurant to the other and one shop to another. A silly grin was plastered on his face for no reason. It was a nice day, and for the first time in a long time he was actually glad he was there to enjoy it. The group had decided to take a vacation for a while. They had been steadily brining in bounties for weeks after the Three Strikes Gang, and had each saved up quite a bit of money. Without a casino in the future, Faye had even learned to save her money and started putting it towards supplies. Jet had decided that the vacation should be on Earth, much to Faye's dismay. Ed had been the only other person happy about it. Faye had yelled and ranted about it for the two weeks it had taken them to get there.  
  
It had been two weeks since Spike had given Faye the dress and he still hadn't seen her in it. Something he was planning on remedying while they were on vacation. He had asked her to put it on every now and then, but she declined. Her resistance always faltered a little when he would whisper the request against her hair or her skin. The shiver that ran up her body always made Spike smile a little wider. He had been completely serious before, he planned on moving on. And he was choosing Faye to HELP him.  
  
Spike smiled as he passed a flower shop. Flowers always helped.  
  
Ed ran into the lobby of the hotel they were staying at flying as if she were an airplane. Faye huffed as she pushed her way through the doors, carrying a couple bags on her arms.  
  
"Ed, come back here and help me," Faye yelled at the retreating form of the girl. Ed turned on a heel and ran back at Faye. Faye closed her eyes and awaited the crash, but it didn't come. Faye opened one eye at a time, seeing the cocked head of Ed staring at her.  
  
"What is Faye-Faye doing?" Ed asked. Faye blew a strand of hair from her face.  
  
"Nothing. Here, take the bags up to your room and we'll give Spike and Jet a fashion show." Faye said with a smile.  
  
"Fa-shhhhhhhhhhh-ion SHOW!!!!!!" Ed continued to yell as she gabbed the bags and made a dash for the elevator. Faye had spent the whole day shopping with Ed, buying her new clothes. Ed had reached the age of young adulthood before any of them had been ready. Faye took her out and bought her some clothes that would HELP with the transition. Faye walked over to the elevators and smiled. The look on Jet's face when Faye told her what she was going out with Ed to do was priceless. It was that look of a father just realizing his little girl was growing up. Faye laughed as she walked into the elevator.  
  
Faye popped her head into Jet's open door. They had all got their own rooms, with their own money. Privacy was grand, but with Ed around it didn't exist. Jet was sitting on his bed looking at Ed who had put on a pair of jeans and a new t-shirt. The kid looked almost normal. Jet was smiling that proud papa smile.  
  
"Hey, what do you think?" Faye said as she stepped in a leaned on the door frame.  
  
"Pretty good, Faye. She looks like a normal kid." Jet said looking up at her and smiling. "Did you have fun?"  
  
"It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be." Faye said pushing off and heading for her own room. She heard Jet snort out a laugh as she went. Her smile only increased. She walked a few rooms down and opened her door, stealing a quick glance at the door across the hall. Spike.  
  
Spike had been a trip lately. He was hell bent on getting Faye to agree to a date with him. It was really kind of funny, the way he would ask. The fun stopped when he would start to touch her skin and breath the requests into her neck. At that time she found it hard to say no. And why was she saying no? She wanted to make him sweat. Plain and simple. He had made her sweat plenty before, damn sexy smirk and eyes of his. Nope. This time it was her turn to make him sweat. Plus she was making sure it wasn't just some whim of his. Giving him time to reconsider. But it had been going on for about two weeks now, and he was getting more persistent. He had even asked Jet for help. To which Jet had laughed and laughed. Spike was persistent, and it was getting harder for Faye to decline. Faye smiled a little more as she walked over to her dresser to put her keys down.  
  
"What's got you so happy?" Spike's voice rolled out into the room. Faye turned and saw him standing in the doorway his hands behind his back a large grin on his face. It never failed think of the man long enough and poof, he appears.  
  
"I took Ed out shopping," Faye said taking a step towards him, her knee brushing the bed. Spike raised an eyebrow, his head cocking to the side a little. "It was actually fun. Nice to do something other than bounty hunting."  
  
"I know something else that's better than bounty hunting. It involves you and me, and a restaurant." Spike said taking a step into the room. He kept his hands behind his back.  
  
"Are we back to this again?" Faye said turning around removing the jacket tied around her waist, and the gun that it hid. She was wearing a pair of nice fitting blue jeans and a yellow strapless halter top. She turned and met his large smirk, she narrowed her eyes. "What's behind your back?"  
  
"Surprise," Spike said bringing about a half dozen yellow roses. He couldn't bring himself to buy red. He was moving on, starting something new. Faye's eyes lit up, and Spike's smile increased as he took steps towards her. She reached out for them.  
  
"Yellow roses, those are rare." Faye said. "Especially now."  
  
"Yellow is your color, looks good on you," Spike said bringing the roses back towards his body. Faye's eyes narrowed. He put a finger to her bare shoulder and moved it across and down her arm. "Very good."  
  
"Cut it out," Faye said slapping his hand. She crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"Come on, Faye." Spike said. "I bought you roses. The least you could do is try on the dress for me."  
  
"The dress isn't yellow." Faye said with a smile.  
  
"Do you want me to go buy a yellow one?" Spike asked completely serious.  
  
"No. I like the one you bought." Faye said.  
  
"Then wear it for me," Spike said bringing the roses in front of his face. "We're here on vacation, so take one. Come out with me tonight. Dinner and dancing."  
  
"Jesus, Faye. Just say yes, so we can all get some peace." Jet's voice came from the doorway. Faye and Spike looked back. Spike had a wide grin on his face, the yellow roses still under his chin. Faye was sending Jet daggers. Ed was standing beside Jet in white sundress with red polka dots on it.  
  
"You look nice, Ed." Spike said.  
  
"Ed will go out to dinner with Spike-person." Ed said taking a few steps forward. "Faye-Faye bought Ed a new DREEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!"  
  
"See Faye, you had better take the offer soon or else Ed's going to take it from you." Spike said turning back to face Faye who had a silly grin on her face.  
  
"Go ahead Ed, I don't mind." Faye said with a giggle. "Hope you two have fun." Spike's face fell as he looked to Ed and Jet.  
  
"Actually I'm taking Ed out tonight," Jet spoke up. "Sorry Spike, guess you're stuck with Faye."  
  
"Sorry, Spike-person." Ed said zooming out of the room.  
  
"You two have fun," Spike said to Jet.  
  
"OH yeah," Jet said the sarcasm dripping from each word. "You too." This was said with a slight chuckle. He still had a hard time seeing Spike and Faye together, but it was hilarious when they would argue for hours and then Spike would ask her out. Faye always left in a huff, yet smiling.  
  
"We will," Spike said.  
  
"I haven't agreed to go out with you!!" Faye yelled as Jet closed the door behind him. She was staring daggers at Spike. "What is it with you?"  
  
"I'm a man on a mission, Faye." Spike said with a grin. "You are that mission."  
  
"What if you fail?" Faye said taking a step towards him.  
  
"I don't fail." Spike said flatly, the voice was scary. Faye took her step back and stared at him.  
  
"Please, you remember that time when we were chasing that one guy on Mars and you fell in the horse shit. I'd say you definitely failed then." Faye said crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"That was all your fault. If you hadn't shot off your gun and run screaming through the chicken coop it never would have happened." Spike snapped back as he lowered his arms. His face had lost the happy luster.  
  
"The damn chickens were trying to bite me!" Faye yelled back.  
  
"You were just itchy on the trigger and screwed up. Don't blame the chickens." Spike yelled.  
  
"Itchy on the trigger!!! Who's the one who shot the horse." Faye slammed back her arms falling to her side, her hands in fists.  
  
"The horse could have killed me. It was self defense." Spike said his hands joining hers in fists. He was crushing the stems of the roses.  
  
"Please. You screwed up." Faye said. "If you hadn't shot the horse we could have still caught the guy. Instead we ended up covered in shit."  
  
"No big change for you." Spike shot back.  
  
"Oh look who's talking." Faye yelled, they had argued their way to a close distance. Faye was three inches from Spike's face.  
  
"Will you go out with me tonight or what?!" Spike yelled his voice remaining in fight mode.  
  
"Yes!!!" Faye yelled. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at him. His grin was huge. She started to open her mouth to take it back, but Spike brought a finger to her lips.  
  
"Uh, no take backs." He said. He bent down and kissed over top of his finger. "I'll meet you in the lobby in two hours." Spike put the flowers down on her dresser and walked to the door, opening it and looking back at the still flustered Faye.  
  
"I'm not promising a nice night, Spike." Faye yelled at him regaining her anger.  
  
"I'll promise it," Spike said as he started out the door. "Wear the dress, Faye." And then he left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Damn, Lunkhead!!!" she yelled at the closed door. She went over to the dresser and picked up the flowers, a smile forming on her lips. He always seemed to be the one in control, and even when she had tried to gain it, he took it away. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. NO. Not Faye Valentine. This was going to be a night he never forgot.  
  
Two hours later Spike sat on the couch in the lobby, every two seconds or so he would glance over at the elevators. Faye should be down any minute. He smiled as he straightened his tie for the twelfth time. He had decided to wear a newer blue suit, darker blue than the other one. A crisp white shirt and a blue silk tie. He liked blue. Tonight was going to be a night to remember. Just then he heard the door to the elevator open. He stood at the sight of Faye coming off of it. His mouth hung open a little his eyes taking her in.  
  
A simple blue dress that was what he bought. But when it came to Faye nothing was simple. She had her hair pulled on top of her head, small stands framing her face. Small sparkles on the side of her head showed that diamonds were laced in her hair holding it in place. Her face was beautifully shimmering with just the right amount of make-up. Not too much, not too little. Enough to make Spike's mouth hang a little. The dress fit perfectly. The two thin straps led into the v-cut of the dress. It didn't go down too low, but Faye's assets made it hang perfectly alluring around her. The dress went to mid-thigh a little longer on the one side than the other. Her legs were perfectly smooth and milky white, perched atop strapped blue heels. Faye smiled over at him, letting the transparent shawl slip from her shoulders. She did a turn and Spike's eyes got a little wider. The back was non-existent leaving her bare down very low. Strange he didn't notice that when he bought it. Faye smiled at Spike and made her way over to him. His mouth was still a little droopy. He couldn't move, he was frozen and she was getting closer.  
  
Faye stepped into him and put her mouth close to his. She smiled playfully and brought her finger under his chin, closing his mouth. She moved in a little closer.  
  
"You ready, cowboy?" Faye asked breathing every word on his lips. Spike swallowed and composed himself. He nodded, not able to form words at that moment. Faye laughed and started towards the door. Spike mobilized as soon as he heard the laugh.  
  
"Well, looks like the dress fits." Spike said moving up behind her and grabbing the door.  
  
"Yeah?" Faye said looking down at her. "You like it?" She looked back up to his eyes, a smile on her lips.  
  
"Definitely," Spike said pushing the door open. "Tonight should be pretty interesting."  
  
"That's what I was thinking." Faye said stepping out into the spring like evening.  
  
They walked down the streets, no need for a car on such a beautiful night. Neither of them said anything. Spike walked with his hands in his pockets, stealing quick glances at Faye every now and then. Faye walked looking around her, her eyes a little sad. Spike noticed the sadness and finally broke the silence.  
  
"Its not that bad is it?" Spike said. Faye looked as though she was shaken from a trance. She looked over at Spike  
  
"What?" Faye asked.  
  
"Going out with me. Its really not going to be that bad. I'm a perfect gentleman." Spike said with a smile. Faye snorted out a laugh and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Its not the company," Faye said catching his eye and then looking back to the moonlit sky. "It's the place."  
  
"We haven't even got there yet." Spike said a little annoyed.  
  
"Lunkhead," Faye yelled. "Not the restaurant. Earth." She said moving a hand in an upward movement.  
  
"You really hate Earth don't you?" Spike asked looking at her.  
  
"It's not my favorite place." Faye said looking at him.  
  
"You're from Earth. Why do you hate it?" Spike moved himself a little closer to her.  
  
"I don't know, maybe because all the memories I have of it are in bits and pieces. I got them back, but there is no one here to tell me what they mean." Faye looked down at the ground.  
  
"Maybe its time to make some new memories," Spike said as he put his arm around her shoulder. Faye pushed away from him and hit him playfully in the stomach. "Cut it out," Faye said crossing her arms over her chest. Spike smiled wider and moved so his body was as close as it could get to Faye's.  
  
They made it to the restaurant and sat down at a small candle lit table near the back. It was a beautiful restaurant, with candles at every table, a large dance floor in the center, and a piano not far away. Spike held Faye's chair and got hit in the stomach again.  
  
"You going to hit me every time I do something that is a little date-like?" Spike asked taking his seat.  
  
"Depends on what it is," Faye said with a sly grin. Spike raised an eyebrow at her. She put her hand to her chin and bit on her finger as it lay on her lip. He laughed.  
  
"Sir, what will you be drinking this evening?" The waiter asked. Spike looked up at him and then over to Faye. Faye smiled and gave a hand signal for him to go ahead.  
  
"Wine?" Spike said over to Faye, she didn't move.  
  
"Red or White?" The waiter asked. Spike kept eye contact with Faye, she was still smiling at him. Her green eyes brought out the blue of her dress. The colors surrounding her made her look exotic and beautiful.  
  
"Red," Spike said with a smile at Faye. Faye nodded her head ever so slightly. The waiter left and brought back the wine and took their orders.  
  
They sat and ate for a while, chit chatting about small things. Mainly Ed, Jet and the bounties they had caught. Faye was telling Spike how much Ed had grown up, and how much she enjoyed being close to her.  
  
"You enjoy being close to Ed?" Spike asked placing his napkin on the plate, showing he was finished. Faye did the same.  
  
"Yeah, she's like a little sister or something," Faye said looking at the dance floor. "I haven't been close to people for a long time, Spike. Its nice."  
  
"Oh yeah?" He said raising an eyebrow. "That include me?"  
  
"Lunkhead, of course it includes you." Faye said with a bit of an annoyed grimace to her date. Her date....wow. She shook her head.  
  
"Just checking," Spike said. "You can't ever tell with women."  
  
"Stop generalizing about women, Spike. It'll hurt your chances with them." Faye said with a grin at him. He smiled at her.  
  
"Faye, tell me about yourself." Spike said, putting a hand to his chin and leaning in. "What?" Faye said with a raised eye brow. "Do you realize how corny that sounds?"  
  
"I'm trying to see past the corny of the statement. I realized that I've known you for almost two years now, and I really don't know that much about you. You know enough about me." Spike said leaning in a little. "Tell me about you."  
  
"What do you want to know?" Faye said looking at him through her lashes.  
  
"Anything." Spike said with a smile.  
  
"My family is from Earth, Brazil to be exact." Faye said looking up as if she was trying to read something. "I'm not sure where that is though. I lived there with them." she stopped and looked over at him, her eyes wide.  
  
"What?" Spike asked taking his hand from his chin.  
  
"It hard to put it together. No one has ever asked before," Faye said. "I'm sorry." She put her eyes to the table.  
  
Spike mentally kicked himself, and looked away. He spotted dancers on the floor. "Tell me one more thing." He said as he looked back to the table. "Did you learn to dance when you were younger?"  
  
"I must have," Faye said her eyes dancing with happiness. Spike reached a hand across the table to her.  
  
"Let's see." He said. Faye put her hand in his and left her shawl on the back of the chair. He helped her to her feet and led her to the dance floor. For one awkward second they smiled at each other and tried to figure out what to do next. Faye took the initiative and placed her hand in his and put his other hand around her waist. Spike smiled at her as she slid her other hand and arm around his shoulder. They started to move as if willed by something else. Spike's hand was rubbing in slow circles at her back, and he pushed her lightly toward himself. Their bodies touched and they each caught their breath for a second. Spike looked down at Faye's pools of green and her beautiful pink lips and found himself wanting more than a dance. Faye smiled at him, as if reading his thoughts and slapped him playfully on the chest. He laughed and brought her closer her chest up against his. Her head was resting on his shoulder, her mouth sending a tingle of passion down Spike's spine. He put his chin on the top of her head and let the music lead them around. His hand began to move from circular motions to a kneading of her bare flesh. His mouth was getting dry, but he wouldn't move that hand for anything. Faye's mind was at ease but her body was a solid tingle, running from the top of her head where his was, to the bottom of her toes. Her mind lingered on her bare back where his calloused fingers where lightly kneading her flesh. She sighed and remembered the day back on the Bebop when his hands had been in a similar position. She wanted so much for that to happen again, to just let go and let him take her away. She snuggled her head to his shoulder a little more and smiled against him. He smelt wonderful, like cigarettes and something else, more husky. Must be his cologne. She smiled again. Spike smiled as she snuggled closer to him, and longed to feel her do that to his bare flesh. He put his mouth to her head and could smell her shampoo. That wonderful fruit blend meshed with cigarettes. It was like a toxin. He smiled against her head. The music ended, and all the dancers clapped. Spike and Faye stepped away from one another. Spike's hand still placed firmly on Faye's back. Faye had a smile that promised wonders in it. Spike smiled at her smile and moved his hand slowly up her back. Faye smiled again, and playfully hit him in the stomach. A little harder this time, Spike backed off and grabbed his stomach.  
  
"Jesus, Faye." He said a little annoyed. He looked back up at her and found her smiling widely at him. "What?"  
  
"I was just thinking maybe we should leave." Faye said walking back to the table. Spike raised an eyebrow but followed, a grin forming on his face.  
  
"I was thinking a nice walk down by the beach," Spike said. Faye looked up at him and smiled. He paid the bill and they left.  
  
They were walking down a boardwalk over looking the ocean. Faye by the rail and Spike beside her. She had her arms crossed over her holding her shawl tight. Spike smiled and took off his suit jacket. He placed it over her shoulders and squeezed a little before he went back to standing beside her. She looked over at him a little confused at first, but then smiled at the smirk on his face.  
  
"Thanks," She said. She turned her attention back to the ocean.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't hit me again," Spike said putting his hands in his pockets. Faye laughed from beside him and he smiled. "For someone who doesn't like Earth, you sure stare at it a lot."  
  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Faye said not looking away from the ocean. Spike stared at the woman next to him and smiled.  
  
"I've never seen anything that rivaled it," Spike said. Faye turned to find him staring at her. "In any way." He put a hand to her face a pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She placed her hand on his and pushed in down, holding it still against her side. His fingers spread on her side, and his eyes went wide. She looked up at him and again flashed that smile, Spike wanted to eat her mouth. He bent closer and she moved back a little, smacking him in the chest.  
  
"Damnitt, Faye!" he yelled. "What is it with you?" He was yelling and flinging his arms. He felt her touch his arms and lower them. She moved closer and put her lips softly to his, he opened his eyes for a second in surprise. But he soon melted under the soft, gentle movement of her lips. He closed his eyes and kissed her back, his hands still held by hers. She broke the kiss and smiled, Spike opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You always kiss me first," Faye said in a whisper. "I wanted it this time."  
  
"Must be the dress," Spike said smiling at her. "You never did anything like you've done tonight. Brings out the devil in you."  
  
"Complaining?" Faye asked raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Hell no." Spike said with a laugh, "Just pointing it out." Suddenly a loud screech and splash took their attention to the ocean. In the water was a figure running around splashing and yelling. Another figure was chasing the smaller one, a dog biting at his ankles. The bigger figure then fell into the water. The laughter was all to familiar.  
  
"If we leave now we can beat them back," Faye said with a smile. Spike smiled back at her, and offered his arm to her.  
  
"My dear," he said with a smile. "Am I going to get hit again when I go in for the good night kiss?"  
  
"We'll see." Faye said smiling as the two made their way back to the hotel. Leaving Jet, Ed, and Ein to play in the ocean. They would be out their for hours until Ed got to tired to run away from Jet.  
  
Spike had unlocked his room and opened the door, Faye was putting the key into her door. He walked back across the hall and stood behind her. She stopped fiddling with the key and turned to face him. He smiled down at her, she was still wearing his coat. They stood that way for five minutes, staring into one another's eyes. Spike put a hand out and cupped her cheek. Faye rubbed her cheek against his hand, they didn't break eye contact. Spike moved his head down and was about to kiss her.  
  
"Why is this so hard now?" Spike asked his eyes slits, a smile and a little bit of amusement on his voice.  
  
"Maybe because of the date." Faye said. She started to close the distance. "Oh I give up," She said pulling back a little, not enough to fully separate. Spike's hand moved on her cheek, his thumb rubbing a little.  
  
"Maybe its because we both want it now," Spike said opening his eyes and looking at her.  
  
"Maybe," Faye said with a bit of a smile at him. He smiled back and slid his fingers under her chin lifting her face to his.  
  
"Here goes," Spike said with one last smile. Faye returned it and then his lips where on hers. A soft gentle kiss, just a bare brush of lips. He kissed her over and over like that, until finally she smacked him on the shoulder. He smiled against her lips and brought her in for a deeper kiss. Passion rode through their bodies as their tongues met. Faye's knees melted and Spike's hands shot to the lapels of his suit jacket bringing her closer. They broke the kiss both a little out of breath. Spike still held Faye to him by his jacket. Faye's eyes wandered to Spike's open door, and Spike's eyes followed hers.  
  
"Can I come in?" Faye asked, a little fear in her words.  
  
"If you want to?" Spike said, he made it a question, his hands still balling the fabric of his suit jacket.  
  
Faye moved his hands away and took them off her, a smile playing on her lips. She walked to his open door. Spike looked at her standing in the doorway, and watched her step into the dark room, and turn on the small light at the table. There was barely a light in the room, just a subtle yellow tint. Yellow was definitely her color. He stepped through the door and saw her standing at the window. He closed the door and she sighed, but didn't turn from the window. He walked slowly over to her standing in the very dim light. He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. He slid the coat off slowly and kissed her bare shoulders. Faye's breath caught and she tensed. Spike kissed her again, a flutter of lips on her bare skin. He moved up so his mouth was at her ear.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked in her ear, and then he kissed it. Faye turned in his arms her hands on his chest. The suit jacket forgotten on the floor. She stared into his eyes.  
  
"Are you?" She said, it was the same question she asked before. Spike smiled at her and put a finger to her cheek.  
  
"I asked first." He said with a smirk. She hit him on the chest. He smiled. "I've been ready for a while, Faye. I was waiting on you."  
  
"Trust me, I've been waiting on you longer, cowboy." She said. He smiled at her and moved his head towards her. "So you're sure?" he said bringing his head back a little.  
  
"Spike I swear to God. If you don't stop being such a Lunkhead." She never got to finish the statement, Spike had kissed her again. She melted against his chest, her knees giving out instantly.  
  
His hands ran smoothly up her back, and his fingers slipped into the straps of the dress. He brought one down and lowered his head to kiss where it had been. Faye's hands worked slowly at the tie and buttons. She got the tie off and pulled it away, causing Spike to move away from her. He watched her, and the smile that played on her lips as she pulled the tie off. The buttons to his shirt were undone, and with a tug she pulled it out of his pants. She ran her fingers over his undershirt and slid the shirt off of him. It too lay forgotten with the jacket and tie. She looked into his eyes as she started to slowly lift his undershirt up. His eyes had melted the color of warm chocolate, and his breath was coming in hot on her face. She put her fingers under the shirt and let her flesh touch his, he took a breath at the feel. She slid her hands up his bare chest feeling the muscles tense and relax. The smile on her lips was the most wonderful thing Spike had ever seen. She slid her hands up further and took the shirt with her hands. Spike lifted his arms and let her take it over his head. She threw it on the floor and kept her hands on his bare chest. The smile had faded, now a look of pure passion filled her eyes. She half expected Jet to come yelling or Ed to pound on the door, but there was no interruptions this time. Just her and Spike.  
  
Spike put his hands again to her shoulder and slowly pushed the thin straps down her arms. A caress of his calloused finger tips on her silky skin. With his fingers went her dress. Spike lowered with the dress a fluid graceful movement. He took the dress down her body his hands rubbing on her sides, her legs, her breath caught and she let her head lull backwards. Spike's hands rested on her hips he looked up at her from his crouching position on the floor. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She felt the lingering touch and looked down at him. He stared in her eyes for a moment and then stood back up, looking deeply into her eyes. It was at this moment that she realized she wasn't as experienced as he probably was. He put a hand to her face, and smiled at her, and shook his head.  
  
"No doubts, Faye." He said leaning in for a kiss. "I won't hurt you." He kissed her lips and they both felt the tingle as their almost naked bodies touched.  
  
The lace of Faye's bra sent shivers through Spike's body. Faye's hands worked their way down his chest and went to his pants. She tugged at the button a little and Spike's hands went down to meet hers. He smiled against her lips and helped her unbutton his pants. Spike kicked off his shoes and socks and Faye let the pants slide to the floor. Her hands were on his sides, burning holes into him. Spike put his hands around her back and felt her gasp as he undid the clasp to her bra. The cloth fell to the floor with the rest of the discarded clothing. Faye looked into his eyes as he stared at her body as if it held all the answers to every question that had ever been uttered. She felt a slight blush rise to her face and she dropped her gaze a little.  
  
"God, you're beautiful." Spike said as he ran a finger over her naked collar bone. She shivered slightly and looked up at him. Her eyes were shining with tears unshed.  
  
"Ditto," she said with a smile. "And thank you." She let a tear slide down her cheek. He caught it and smiled down at her.  
  
"Thank you," he said in barely a whisper as he brought his face to hers again. He smiled and brought her in for another kiss. Their naked flesh met and heat ran through out their bodies. Faye's nipples played along his skin, his hands flowed over her body until one reached those torturous things. He cupped her breast and his fingers did magic on her body. She arched her back in a moan, and her lips went from his. Spike lifted her up and cradled her in his arms, kissing her again. He carried her to the bed, her arms tight around his neck, the kiss deepening with every step. He lay her on the bed, and looked down at her, a vision in the beautiful dim yellow light. Yellow was definitely her color. But the Devil in the blue dress made tonight possible. The world was lost to the swirl of emotions that played over their naked flesh. The night lasted forever, Spike caressing every part of Faye, and Faye tenderly touching every part of him. Their bodies moved together as if they had never been apart.  
  
Well, okay folks. That's what I'm sure a lot of you were waiting for. I've never really written a love scene before. So please forgive. Anyhoo, I'm gonna keep going if you want me to. Read and Review. And please read my new Fic Guarded. Its another S/F. A different story though. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, cause I don't have a clue what the next one will be. Enjoy 


	10. Chapter 10: The Red Rhino

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the long awaited, (and unknown in existence) final chapter of the Fine Line. *gasp* I know, I've actually been considering writing this for a while. I just don't think I could leave it with the mushy stuff as the final chapter. So here you go -----  
  
Chapter 10: The Red Rhino  
  
Spike slowly lifted the lighter to his mouth, lighting the cigarette that dangled dangerously from his lips. This was an act he had done hundreds if not thousands of times before. It was always more challenging while laying down, but after so many instances where he ended up on his back for weeks on end he became a pro. However, he never really got used to doing it left handed and since his right hand and arm was otherwise occupied he had little choice. The lighter sparked twice before actually igniting, the firelight flickered on the sleeping form of Faye.  
  
She was snuggled on his right side, her cheek on his shoulder, one leg draped across his thighs. Spike smirked, making sure to keep a tight grip on the cigarette between his lips. The lighter in his hand added the only light into the room; he kept it burning a few seconds before extinguishing it. He stretched out his arm and dropped the lighter to the floor. The instant the lighter hit the bundle of clothes beside the bed, Faye tightened her grip and snuggled her body closer to his. Spike raised an eyebrow and brought his outstretched hand back to his face removing the cigarette and exhaling towards the dark ceiling.  
  
Faye's thin body clad in his shirt snuggled closer again, her fingers stretching out over his chest. Her chin moved slightly and her lips came closer to his neck. Her breath was a hot flash against his cool skin, and made him smile.  
  
Spike heard a muffled sound under his chin, and felt it against his neck. His eyebrows furrowed as he put the cigarette back in his mouth.  
  
"I love you." She said in barely a whisper as she moved her head a little away from his neck.  
  
He smiled, his hand trapped under her rubbing slightly against her body, a soothing motion. "Me too, Faye," he said looking around his cigarette as he looked back up at the ceiling. Her hand began to move on his chest again up and up, until her fingers rested on his chin. His brows furrowed again, as her fingers began drumming on his chin.  
  
"Oh really?" Her voice floated to his ears. He looked down, his head moving an inch lower. Her quick fingers reached for his lips and grabbed his cigarette. He didn't say anything, his shoulders shrugged and his eyes closed. "You know you didn't have to say it." Faye said taking a long drag off the cigarette and blew it up towards the ceiling.  
  
Spike's free hand made it towards hers taking back his cigarette. He then put two fingers to her cheek and pushed her head back down to its resting place on his chest. "Go to sleep, Faye."  
  
She smiled against his chest as she kicked out her foot and made contact with his bare shin. Spike inhaled the cigarette in a rush and coughed it back out, all the while feeling Faye giggling against his chest.  
  
****  
  
Faye awoke to bright sunlight coming in the window of Spike's room. She smiled with the memory of last night and with the midnight conversation. She shifted in the sheets and frowned at finding herself alone. Just then a weight landed on the bed behind her, she pushed up on her elbows and turned around tangling the sheets in her legs.  
  
"Morning sunshine." Spike said with a large grin as he set a cup of coffee on the nightstand for her.  
  
"Morning yourself." She said raising an eyebrow. "What's this?" She pointed to the cup.  
  
"That is coffee." Spike said taking a sip from his own cup.  
  
"No shit." Faye responded.  
  
"Don't get all huffy with me. And don't get used to it." Spike said with a smirk. "I got room service."  
  
"Big spender." Faye said smirking at Spike. He smiled back and was about to say something when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"I'll get it." Spike said getting up.  
  
"Damn it, Ed, get off the lady's cart!" Jet's voice could be heard on the other side of the door. Spike smirked as he reached for the knob, looking back he saw Faye leaning over the bed trying to reach for her coffee, a huge grin on her face.  
  
"Morning, Jet." Spike said opening the door and walking away. "Did you have a nice night?"  
  
Jet walked into the room, and looked over at Faye reaching for her cup. "Not as nice as yours." He smiled wide and looked at caught Faye's eye just as her fingers inched closer to the cup. "Morning Faye, have a nice time?"  
  
"Go to hell, Jet." Faye said with a smile. She then turned back to her coffee, Spike just had to put it so far away on the nightstand didn't he. As her fingers touched the mug she watched as something red and round slipped out of her shirt pocket. Or rather out of Spike's shirt pocket.  
  
"What's this?" She asked out loud, not really to anyone as she reached down to pick it up forgetting her coffee for a second.  
  
"What?" Spike said sitting in a chair across from Jet at a little table. Ed ran by the room with Ein barking at her heels and Jet let out a loud sigh.  
  
Faye picked up the red thing and flipped it over in her, one side had the number 200 on it and the other a large imprinted rhino head. On both sides in cursive lettering it read The Red Rhino.  
  
"The Red Rhino? What's this?" She said as she sat up on the bed holding it up for Spike and Jet to see.  
  
"Nothing, just a chip from a casino." Spike said lighting a cigarette.  
  
"No kidding, what a coincidence." Jet said scratching his chin.  
  
"A casino?!" Faye's voice came out louder than Spike had been expecting at the same instant as Jet's.  
  
Spike chose to go with what Jet had said, figuring it was a safer bet. "What do you mean, coincidence?"  
  
"I don't believe-" Faye began.  
  
"I was looking up the bounty list from ISP earlier this morning," Jet said cutting her off. "And I came across a bounty, named Miles Lerring who's wanted for scamming a bunch of casinos here on Earth. I figured since we were in the neighborhood we could look out for him. So I did some checking and found out he's staying at a place called The Red Rhino."  
  
"No kidding." Spike said with a smile. "It's a nice place, a shame for it to get robbed."  
  
"Real shame." Jet said with a smile at his partner.  
  
"You went to a casino with out me!" Faye's voice yelled over at Spike. She was sitting on the edge of the bed close to the two men, her hand gripping the chip her eyes shooting daggers at Spike.  
  
"It was before our date." Spike said leaning back in his chair, amused by her outburst.  
  
"That's not the point. I'm the casino expert in this crew!" Faye yelled, jumping off the bed and shaking her fist in Spike's face. "Expert?" Spike said with an amused grin as he backed away from the angry woman. Jet let out a laugh beside him. Faye turned and glared at the older man. He instantly turned his laugh into a cough and started pounding on his chest. Spike started laughing.  
  
"I've been in more casinos that the both of you combined." Faye yelled.  
  
"She's got you there, Spike." Jet said getting up and walking towards the door. "I think I'll let you two work this out." Spike watched him leave with a glare that spoke to the horror of the situation.  
  
"I should have been consulted." Faye said putting her hands on her hips and staring down at Spike.  
  
"Wait Jet, I'll come with you." Spike yelled after his partner. Faye watched as Spike jumped up and followed Jet out the door.  
  
"Damn it, Spike!" She yelled after him. She started stalking out the door after the two men. By the time she stuck her head out into the hallway she saw nothing but an overturned cleaning cart, Ed and Ein wrapped up in toilet paper, Ed was using a plunger as a sword and calling Ein a "Scurvy doggie". The door that lead to the stairs was still swinging. "Damn cowards." Faye said as she walked across the hall to her own room.  
  
"Good Morning, Faye-Faye." Ed said saluting Faye with her plunger sword. "Why was Faye-Faye not in her room?'  
  
"I'm beginning to wonder that myself." Faye said opening her door and closing it on Ed's confused yet amused face.  
  
***  
  
Jet was having probably the best day of his life, and it was all due to the bickering pair in behind him. He turned his head a little to watch as Faye continued to yell at Spike and Spike continued to yell back. He smiled as he watched Ed run around in front of him, with Ein. Jet chuckled to himself. Faye and Spike getting together was like his brother and his sister getting together. He stopped walking for a second as a disgusted snarl formed on his lips. Ew. Not his brother and sister, that was gross. His best-friend and his sister? His friend and his brother? Oh, shit. It was just a damn good thing.  
  
"Jet-person, how much further is this Rhino?" Ed asked as she marched beside him. She was still holding her plunger sword at her side and acting the part of a pirate since this morning.  
  
"Maybe you should ask Spike, Ed." Faye said coming up to walk on the other side of Jet. "He's been there enough times."  
  
"One time!" Spike yelled as he walked up beside Ed yelling over the two in the middle at Faye. The same woman that he had spent such great evening with only last night. Spike let out a sigh. "One time, Faye. Damn it would you just drop it."  
  
"You didn't even think about asking me if I wanted to go there." Faye said yelling over Jet and Ed at Spike.  
  
"If I had taken you there we never would have left." Spike yelled.  
  
Jet closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. It was great that they didn't let this new development in their relationship hinder the old chemistry. Jet suddenly stopped walking and put out his hands stopping the whole crew. They were there.  
  
"Alright, stop it. We're going in there, we're going to get the bounty and then we're heading back to the Bebop. I don't want any screw ups." Jet glared at Faye and then at Spike.  
  
"Why are you looking at me. I'm not going to screw it up. Casinos are my specialty." She spat out directing the last word at Spike.  
  
"Specialty my ass." Spike yelled.  
  
"Specialty!" Faye yelled at him.  
  
"My ass!" Spike yelled.  
  
"Shut up the both of you." Jet yelled over top of them.  
  
"You want I should run them through, Jet-person." Ed said from beside him pointing her plunger at Faye and Spike.  
  
"Not yet, Ed. Maybe later." Jet said. "You two finished. Or do you want Ed to run you through?"  
  
Both Spike and Faye turned away from one another to face Jet. Each of them crossed their arms over their chests and stuck their noses in the air. Jet gave a sad sarcastic smile. "I can't believe I thought it would help."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Spike spat out as he straightened his tie.  
  
"You babbling to yourself again?" Faye said straightening her skirt.  
  
"Never mind." Jet said as he fixed his white hat on his head and turned back to face the Red Rhino Casino across the street. "Let's go. Remember the plan, and try to stick to it." He grabbed Ed's hand and walked across the street. Faye and Spike shot a glare at one another and then went off after Jet. Inside the Red Rhino the lighting was just what you would expect, red and flashy. Jet sat at a small table with a glass of water watching the crowds, looking for Miles Lerring. From the description he was six feet tall, light hair always wore sunglasses, and had very quick hands. Jet spared a glance to check on his partners.  
  
Faye was sitting at the bar, her eyes darting from table to table. She promised Jet she would stay away from the tables until they caught the bounty. But Jet could tell she was itching to go to the tables, especially when her eyes locked on the form of Spike. Her hands tightened around the bar and her eyes narrowed to slits.  
  
Spike looked back at Faye, and raised his glass to her with a smile. He then turned back to the blackjack dealer before him. He fingered the chip in his pocket, the one that Faye had discovered that morning. He nodded at the dealer for a hit and won the hand. He darted his eyes about the room looking for the bounty. He nodded over at Jet and Ed, and went back to his survey of the room.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?" A voice broke Faye's concentration and she turned in her seat to face the source. Standing beside her was a young man that matched the description of the bounty they were after. She smiled widely at him and relaxed against the seat. He was hers.  
  
"Yes?" she said slowly reaching a hand behind her back towards her gun.  
  
"Is there someone sitting there?" He asked pointing to the seat next to her.  
  
"You." She said watching as he smiled and sat down next to her. "So what brings you to the Red Rhino."  
  
"Money." The man said looking out at the crowd. "What else?"  
  
"A man after my own heart." Faye said catching Spike's eyes as he looked back at her. She smiled widely at him and winked.  
  
"I'm sorry?" The man said, utterly confused.  
  
"Money is the one thing I fully understand you see." Faye said turning to look at him.  
  
Spike watched as Faye conversed with the man beside her. Spike growled when he realized why she was so happy about it. That was they're bounty. Well, he'd be damned if he was going to let her gloat about her getting this guy all on her own. He stood up and started stalking towards Faye and the bounty.  
  
Jet swore under his breath as he watched Spike approach Faye at the bar. "Come on, Ed. You can hit them with your sword now." Jet said standing up and taking Ed by the hand. Ed bounced along with him.  
  
At the first swing and crashing chair Jet was flat on the floor. Guns had been whipped out of everyone's jackets, bullets were flying everywhere. Jet could hear Faye yelling something at Spike, and Spike yelling something back. He just continued to lay there he propped his head up on his elbows and let out a large sigh. Ed mimicked him, and the two of them just stared at the chaos. ***  
  
It had taken about five hours to finally get the chaos at the Red Rhino to stop, and after that the police had taken custody of the bounty leaving them with no money. They left quickly and practically ran back to the Bebop. Faye and Spike had finally stopped fighting about the casino thing. Now they had moved on to fighting about who screwed up the bounty.  
  
Jet landed his hammerhead and headed off towards his bonsai trees, swearing and talking to himself the whole way.  
  
"It was totally your fault, Spike." Faye yelled as she climbed out of her Redtail.  
  
"Faye would you stop arguing with me." Spike said rubbing at the bridge of his nose. He screwed up, he knew that. But he wasn't about to admit that to Faye.  
  
"There is no argument, you messed up." Faye said walking out of the hangar leaving a disgruntled Spike behind her. Ed ran past him and smacked him in the shins with her plunger sword.  
  
"Shit, Ed!" he yelled grabbing his shin. Ein ran past him and barked, to which Spike narrowed his eyes.  
  
Faye walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer and threw herself on the couch. She propped her feet up on the table and put her head back. A small smile crept on to her face at the memory of what happened in the casino. Spike was jealous, well jealous for him.  
  
She heard Spike mumble as he entered the kitchen and grabbed a beer for himself. He plopped down beside her and put his feet up as well.  
  
"Spike." Faye began, utterly calm.  
  
"I don't want to anymore. Just shut up and go to sleep." Spike said gulping at his beer.  
  
"Why don't you just admit it?" Faye sighed and took a sip of her beer.  
  
"Admit what?" Spike asked as he settled himself in a more comfortable position. That just happened to be closer to Faye.  
  
"That you like me." Faye said as she lay her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I thought I did that last night?" Spike said with a smirk. "You mean I have to do it every night?"  
  
"You don't." Faye said raising her head to look him in the eye. "We don't. It could just have been for that one night."  
  
"That's not what I'm saying." He said pushing her head back down on to his shoulder. "I'm just not going to admit I screwed up the bounty."  
  
"But you did!" Faye yelled her head coming up and her eyes going wide. Suddenly Spike kissed her, deep and hard, and it shut her up. He broke the kiss and watched as her eyes opened to look at him. The expression on her face was pure amusement. "Was that supposed to make me forget all about you screwing up. Make me," she threw herself across his lap in fake exhaustion, "throw myself at your feet and ask you to take me. Take me now." She flipped over so her back was on his lap her one hand thrown over her eyes. "Oh Spike!" She yelled smacking her other hand on his knees. She looked at him through the crack of her fingers, a wide smile on her face.  
  
Spike was staring down at her the bottle of beer at his lips. He took a drink of beer and pushed her off his lap onto the floor. He then stepped over her and walked to the kitchen. Faye lay on the floor between the couch and table laughing at his retreating form.  
  
"Aw, Spike, don't take it so hard." Faye said getting up and sitting on the couch again. She sat there and closed her eyes again. Suddenly something hit her lap, she opened her eyes and looked down at the little red chip in her lap. "What's this?"  
  
"That is for you." Spike said as he came to stand at the end of the couch. Faye picked up the chip and looked it over. It was a 200 credit piece from the Red Rhino. She looked up at Spike with a confused arch to her eyebrows.  
  
"Is this?"  
  
"Yeah," He said lighting two cigarettes and handing one down to her. She took the cigarette with a smile and continued to look at the chip.  
  
"You think this is going to make up for it?" Faye asked smiling at the chip.  
  
"Does it?" Spike asked sitting down on the couch beside her again. She looked over at him with a smile.  
  
"200 credits will by you about a month of silence." Faye said putting the chip in her front pocket and patting it twice.  
  
"A month, huh?" Spike said taking a long drag from his cigarette and blowing it up at the ceiling. Faye lay her head on his shoulder smiled, and then shifted herself quickly up to straddle his lap. Spike brought his head down to look at Faye, her arms encircled his neck, her cigarette hanging from her lips.  
  
"Maybe two." Faye said.  
  
"Expensive." Spike said his cigarette bouncing on his lips, he removed it and threw it out on to the floor. Faye's smile widened.  
  
"I'm sure you can come up with some way around it." She said smirking at him. Spike took the cigarette from her mouth and threw it on to the floor with his. He put his hand behind her head and began bringing her closer to him.  
  
"I'm sure you'll screw up soon enough that I won't have to worry about it." Spike said with a smile.  
  
"Why you---!" Faye's yell was cut off as Spike kissed her. The kiss ran all through her body, the heat was intoxicating. The familiarity of the event was becoming very nice. Spike ran his hands up and down her back, smoothing down her thighs. He pulled her lower body closer to his as the kiss deepened. Faye let out a large gasp, and tangled her hands into his hair.  
  
"Where do you think we're heading next?" Faye said as Spike broke the kiss to trail smaller kisses down her throat.  
  
"Jet said something about a hacker bounty and his pet monkey somewhere near Ganymede." Spike said into her collarbone, he nipped at her skin and she let out a moan. She bit on his earlobe.  
  
"So we have a little bit of time." She said quietly into his ear.  
  
"Plenty." Spike said kissing her mouth again, his hands were kneading her thighs and pulling her closer and closer.  
  
"Oh hell no." Jet's voice boomed out over them, but they didn't care, nor did they stop. "Rooms now. I don't care who's you go to, but you go. Now." He yelled. The two stopped kissing, and Spike stood up, Faye wrapped her legs around his waist.  
  
"Night, Jet." Spike said as he walked past him.  
  
"Sleep well," Faye said waving as they passed.  
  
"That's just not okay. I'm putting my foot down on this one. I mean, I like to sit on that couch." He said to the now empty room. "Shit," he said as he put a hand to his bald head. "I asked for it."  
  
"Uh huh." Ed said coming up beside him, her plunger attached to her head now.  
  
"Let's get to work on the next bounty, Ed. We should be in Ganymede in a day." Jet said walking towards the computer console. Ed bounced up behind singing a pirate song that she made up. The words basically consisted of "Ein-doggy", "banana", "ship", and a bunch of made up words. Jet let out a sigh. There was a fine line between family and friends, and he guessed between friends and lovers. This was his family such as it was, and it would continue on like this until he died.  
  
He stopped walking at that thought and shook his head. He was going to die young if things kept up like this. But it would be one hell of a ride.  
  
"Ein give Ed back her sword, we must defeat the evil wacker-hacker of Ganymede." Ed's sing-song voice boomed out over the ship. Suddenly there was a loud crash and a lot of barking. "Ein that is not the proper way to catch a hacker." Ed said.  
  
"I'm going to make those two do something they really hate tomorrow. I don't know what. But something." Jet said as he walked towards where Ed and Ein were. "Ow! Damn it Ed, not the shins!"  
  
The End. Or I guess maybe its the beginning of something new for them---  
  
There you go I feel much better about that ending. I'm hopefully going to be working on my other story more now, sorry about the long wait. And I hope you guys enjoyed the ending. 


End file.
